Listening To Shatters
by CoffeeQuills
Summary: Wounds have healed, nightmares are only thrice a week, and SPR's tackling a new case at a haunted theme park. Splitting into day and night teams, the team tries to understand the connections between ghostly children, invisible perverts, and the physic feedback coming from the House of Mirrors. Bou-san finds himself once again scrambling to save everyone...but can anyone save him?
1. Carnival Coincidences (Lin's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : Later chapters will contain violence and injury descriptions.

* * *

 _Monday afternoon - SPR Office_

* * *

Lin walked into the room, but that action wasn't what drew Mai and Naru's attention to him, he was sure. For Mai, it had to be the curly-headed blonde woman chatting at his side, passion and energy rolling off her like perfume. For Kazuya, it was the picture the two of them gave off with their professionally cut suits; his darker vest and tie contrasting with her bright red top hat, and the gold lines that squiggled down the black sides of her penguin-tailed coat.

 _Try not to stare so openly at clients._

"Ahem," Lin cleared his throat, bringing his coworkers back from wherever their thoughts had wandered. "I'd like to present Mrs. Melinda Kawai, ringmistress of the Carnival theme park on the outskirts of Tokyo. She was a little hesitant to come here directly, so we met first at Tully's for a cup of coffee."

"Please, call me Melly," the woman said, doffing her top hat, then rolling it down her arm to catch it in her slim fingers. "Melinda makes me sound like my mother, and the woman's been dead for years, thank God in Heaven."

"Um, nice to meet you," Mai piped up, tearing her eyes away from the outfit to put down her pen and notebook. "Can I get you some tea? Coffee?"

Melly smiled, placing her top hat on the coat rack near the door. Under the black, red, and gold suit jacket was a faded red shirt with ruffles and lace. Complementing the top half was a long black skirt with more lines and symbols in red and gold. Her shoes were boots, which, in the few minutes it took to unlace them, allowed Lin to grab his slippers and move into the main room.

"Coffee again please. Being the ringleader of my park is a job that consumes my time, my sleep, and my energy."

 _I think being the leader of anything consumes all that and more._

"Haven't I read about Carnival in the news recently?" Naru had been standing in the doorway, blocking Mai's way. "Two teas as well."

Lin hid a smile as she stuck her tongue out at Naru when Melly was looking around the room. Then she disappeared into the small side kitchen.

Kawai's smile dimmed.

"Please, have a seat," offered Lin, gesturing toward the couches and chairs. "This is who I was talking about."

"Ah, just the right person to help me out then." She sat in one of the chairs, leaving Naru and Lin the couch. "At least, that's how you introduced him, and that's how I'll need him."

Melly turned back to Naru.

"Yes, we've been in the news recently, and while supposedly there's no such thing as bad publicity, my profits and intake would like to disagree."

Mai came back into the room with a tray, handing over the coffee first on a little saucer, two creams and sugars on one side and a small spoon on the other.

"Thank you dear," said Kawai-san, letting out a sigh. "Ah, caffeine... add it to chocolate and truly, there is the ambrosia of the gods."

 _Or a nice cup of Hong-Kong style tea, but to each their own._

"You're welcome," said Mai. "And your theme park is really fun, my friends and I loved going there." She blushed a little bit. "We haven't been back in a while actually, just too much to do with university."

"Understandable, and it's good to hear you remember us fondly, but not many still think like that." Two sugars went in, but no cream. "There are the newer parks now, indoor with electronic games and anime collaborations, such as Namjatown, or outside ones with water rides for the hot summers, like Toshimaen. And that's not competing against concerts, live performances, or other forms of enticing entertainment." She blew on the hot liquid, then took a tiny sip. "However, I love my home, my people, and my job, so I'm happy enough to limp from year to year."

"You're here for a different kind of help though." Naru took his tea from Mai with a nod. "Besides marketing and publicity. According to the papers, you, your park, and your customers are being haunted."

"...it's still strange to have another person accept that rationally. Most people say the word 'haunted' and others laugh."

Mai's smile slipped a little; Lin watched as Naru's eyes flickered towards her.

"We've seen and been through enough that it's something we no longer laugh at, if we ever did, and we're not going to laugh at you," Naru said in a calm voice. "Quite the opposite in fact."

 _Truth._ Lin shut the door on his memories of the cave system in the woods, the cave by the sea. _This will be a good chance to stay away from caves for a while._

"I know we briefly went over everything at Tully's, but I'd like to hear the details you left out before, now that I have a computer in front of me. Could you go over everything again?" asked Lin, moving into action. He pulled over the company laptop from near Mai's notebook, and opened a new document within a few clicks. "I haven't read the papers, and I'd like to hear of those incidents in your own words before I go looking for the articles."

 _And I know you were leaving out information earlier, in case you were overheard._

Melly nodded, taking another sip from her mug and wrapping her hands around it.

"Mind you, I don't have the dates in my head. That's all in the paperwork at the office... but the first problem started with the damned complaints. One person came in, an irate woman, saying that someone had pinched her ass. We reviewed the tapes of course; I won't stand for that shit at my park. There's where our luck was on both sides of the toss up. She'd been standing in an area that was in full fucking view of the cameras, which meant that all of us saw it. Nothing. No one. She'd been completely alone the entire time. Woman was scared, her face going white after seeing that, and we were left wondering what the hell had happened. Oh, sorry about the cussing. Akira tried to cure me of that years ago, but it never took."

"Akira is...?"

"Was. Akira was my husband." Another sip of coffee. "He died a few years ago of a heart attack."

"Oh!" said Mai, her exclamation catching Melly's attention. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"It takes a while to get used to. Not having anyone to share the good things with, or even to help spread out the stress of the bad things. I could have used his presence for this, because it got worse. After her, more and more complaints, all from women, began pouring in. Most of them we could check through the cameras, but like before, nothing. Then, there were the kids."

"Most of them?"

"Kids?"

Melly nodded at Mai, but answered Lin's query.

"Most of them meaning we have some... private, or half-concealed places due to placement of the cameras. We don't normally worry about them, but then this shit start up. And the kids thing wasn't me, but one of my workers. He saw a small child playing alone. When he asked if the kid was lost, the kid giggled, and said he was playing with his new friends. Pointed around him, named them, said what the looked liked even. New guy thought it was cute, you know, little kids making up invisible friends. Until the story started circling around the break rooms. One of my older employees, who's been with me for years, recognized all of the kids. They died at, or around, our park."

"What?!"

 _That was certainly something she didn't mention at the cafe._

"Provide us names to get started with, or the events they were involved in, and we can start an investigation from that angle as well," commented Lin, his fingers flying over the keyboard.

Melly nodded, a hand stroking her chin as she shut her eyes.

"Those never go away. Five kids in all, and hopefully no more than that."

The sound of typing intensified.

"Years ago, before all the cars started getting cameras to check blind spots, there was an accident in our parking lot. One of the cars backing out didn't see the kid. Another child was 'pranked,'" spat Melly, eyes narrowing in anger, "by her older brother, and ended up dying because of it."

 _Pranked. That's a new one._

"You don't think that was an accident?" Naru's voice slid in, solid as ice.

"No, I don't, but I don't blame the kid either." Melly took a deep breath, closing her eyes. "My anger's pointed firmly at the family. I did a side investigation on them, after I had to answer questions about bruising patterns. From what I could gather, both parents were abusive, and the girl was growing up, if you catch my meaning. The police ultimately was ruled it as a joke gone wrong since they lacked evidence, but my personal opinion?" She opened her eyes. "I think the brother found a way to save her."

 _Ah. I understand the word choice now._

"That's horrible," whispered Mai, eyes wet and watery. She was still holding the tray, which was the only reason her hands weren't shaking.

"Agreed." Melly nodded, then shrugged. "I did all I could. Helped the police, kept myself well away from those damned 'parents.' Also told the kid that he has a job with me as long as the park's open."

"And does he work for you now?"

 _He could be another point to work from._

She looked at Lin.

"Yeah. His sister's accident happened at one of the attractions, so I have him working in the cafe. Graduated junior high, never went to high school, but he's hardworking. Good enough worker to keep him on anyhow, no matter my promise."

"The others?" asked Lin,pulling the conversation back to its main topic.

 _Better to get this over with than to drag it out._

Melly sighed, letting her head roll back so she could look at the ceiling.

"Two others were the park's fault. One of my ride operators let someone under the height requirement on, and the kid was injured. Died a few days later at the hospital after complications. Another kid was able to slip through some broken barriers around a ride to grab a hat. He was kicked in the head; died instantly."

"What about the final one?"

"The last one was a damned shame, something that none of us could have prevented. One of the few actual accidents that just... happen" She shrugged. "Kid got one of our lollipops, fell, and jammed the stick into his throat. Choked to death before he could get to the hospital."

There was a silence in the room.

"Your park is still open?"

 _Every time_ _you're this blunt, I'm surprised you weren't given the nickname of Frank._

Melly raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse you? Do you still drive a car? Do you know how many accidents happen with cars?"

 _Point for her._ Thought Lin, looking over to where Naru was stiffening.

"Oh. God, I'm sorry," apologized Melly, her lips pressed firm as she read Naru's body language. "I didn't know that would be a sore spot for you,I was just using it…. as for the park, I've taken responsibility for all I can, and somethings that I probably didn't need to, so-."

"It's fair," acknowledged Naru, interrupting her ramble with a raised hand. "And my own apologies for insinuating. Is there anything else that you can tell us?"

 _Blunt and yet not without charm._

Melly shrugged, chugging the rest of her coffee.

"There's one more thing. Two people have gone home to..." she paused. "Commit crimes after visiting us. Violent crimes. Neighbors have all said it didn't seem like them, and the police have said it's just a coincidence, but I don't believe it."

"Why?" asked Mai.

"Call it a hunch, sweetie." She set her eyes on Lin, then looked at Naru. "Either my park is haunted, and I want to get rid of the ghosts, or someone's taking advantage of me, and I want them dealt with. Can you help?"

Lin nodded, and Naru just gave a thoughtful hum.

"Ghosts yes. Proving someone's harassing you, possibly. Anything other than that you'll need to take to the police. You'll also need to provide expenses, and either allow me to set up our camera system, or let us tap into yours."

 _We don't have enough cameras to cover an entire theme park._

"Mine please," said Melly. "I don't need complaints of strange cameras and perverts. Lodging and food will be given for free up at the park since I also own a small hotel near the property; easier to entice guests into staying the weekend that way. How many people do you think you'll be bringing?"

"I need to ask my staff first," said Naru, exchanging a glance with Lin. "But at the least, there will be three of us, at the most, there will be seven."

 _Seven?_ Lin stifled a groan, schooling his face to not show any of the thoughts whirling around his head. _He's leaving out Houshou again._

"I'll get rooms ready for seven."

"Do you think we'll need that?" asked Mai. "I mean, so far it's just perverts and coincidences."

"No, but I do believe that whatever this problem is, it needs to be shot to hell with as much gun power as I'm allowed." Melly's smile was full of teeth. "And that's you guys."

"Lin, please give Mrs. Kawai a contract, and explain what we'll be doing at the park. I'm going to contact the others." Naru gave a nod to the ringmaster, then walked into the side office, followed closely by Mai. Lin went over to the cabinet, straining his ears to hear the conversation.

"Are you okay? What she said about the car-"

 _Mai and her big heart_.

He grabbed the file folder with the blank contracts.

"I'm fine, and I know she didn't mean anything by it. I'll contact John and Ayako."

 _But not, I notice, our resident monk._

"I'm already messaging Osamu; he says he's in, and he'll start researching the incidents with Carnival." There came a pause. "What about Bou-san? You said seven out there, not eight."

 _Good Mai. Call him out._

Naru made noise.

"Do you think he's not healed enough? I mean, I know he just got his cast taken off, and we've had a few cases, but-"

 _If Ayako says he's healed, then he's healed. After Kiryu, I don't think she's going to let him out of her sight._

"We were able to solve them without Houshou. Just you, me, and Lin. This case though... " there was a pause, so Lin set the paper on the top of the cabinet and began to fill out the company sections. "It looks to be bigger than those others we took. I agree with Mrs. Kawai in that regard, I don't think they're coincidences, and it would be better to be prepared."

"Then why not... do you think-" Mai broke off, and Lin could easily imagine her rubbing the back of her neck. Naru waited. Lin waited. "Do you think this will be like Kiryu?"

 _Good question Mai._

"No. I honestly don't think we'll have another Kiryu. That seems to be a once-in-a-lifetime incident."

"That would be fine by me," she muttered, making Lin lean in to hear her words, "if it was."

 _You'll find no argument from anyone here._

"I think this will be like most of our other cases. Gather data and exorcise the ghosts. Still..." Naru paused. "I'd rather Houshou heal a little bit longer. Contact Osamu, and I'll talk to the rest. Meeting's at five in the office."

 _Five… Houshou's usually at band practice until seven or eight…_ Lin waited, but the only thing he heard was Kazuya on the phone.

"Yes, could I speak with Father Brown please? It's Shibuya Kazuya calling."

The door opened, and Lin stood straight, filling in the small details such as day rates and how many people would be on the job.

* * *

 _Monday 17:00 SPR Office_

* * *

"And that's the case," said Lin, handing out papers to the seated group.

"Could they really be connected, or just an unlucky set of coincidences?" John was scanning over the papers even as he asked the question.

Naru shrugged.

"That's what we're being paid to find out."

"I'll get started on the newspaper articles," volunteered Osamu. "And see if I can unearth anything about the people involved."

 _Note to self - give Osamu the notes I've already gathered._

"Is Houshou coming?" asked Ayako, looking over her paper at Naru.

 _I wonder what your excuse will be?_

"He's currently at band-"

The door banged open, Bou-san apologizing about being late for the meeting, tripping over his feet, and trying not to land on his guitar, all at the same time. Twisting so that his back hit the wall, the musician-monk was able to keep his feet long enough to carefully set everything down, panting a little at the end.

 _Ah. It seems that excuse won't be needed._

Lin turned his back to the commotion, hiding a small smile.

"What?" Houshou asked, noticing that everyone was staring at him. "I'm fine. I didn't fall."

"Your practice was until seven," said Naru.

"Lin told me about the meeting, so I squared it with the band. I always do."

 _So easily thrown under the bus._

Lin received Naru's glare, but didn't react at all. The rest of the SPR members sat quietly in their seats, probably sensing the rising tension in the room and not wanting to draw any attention to themselves.

"Naru," sighed Houshou, cracking his neck to the side and taking a deep breath before fixing his gaze on their boss. "Did you deliberately not tell me about this meeting?"

 _Yes._

"You need to heal a little bit longer," said Naru, side-stepping the question. "You died. Had a knife shoved into your chest after being subjected to an honestly insane amount of torture. I wouldn't use a gadget that was almost fixed, I'd wait until it was completely fixed."

Both Lin and John winced at that analogy as Ayako sucked in air between her teeth.

"... did Naru just call Bou-san a gadget?" Mai whispered to Osamu.

 _This needs to be over with._

Off to the side of the room, Lin let out a sigh.

 _This storm has been a long time coming. Better to withstand the thunder at some point than to keep backing away from the advancing black clouds._

"First off," Houshou ticked his fingers, "I'm not a thing that needs you to fix it, I'm a human being with cells that can repair themselves. Second, that wasn't **my** chest that got stabbed, just like it wasn't **my** body that died, bleeding out on the floor. Third, and finally, I. Am. Healed. I have a clean bill of health from the hospital, my final cast came off last week, and I've even had a few days without nightmares." He jerked a thumb at Ayako. "She's the one who issued it, so if you don't think I'm healed, then you're also saying that she's lying."

"I'm not saying Matsuzaki-san is lying," said Naru, noticing the doctor folding her arms over her chest.

 _In a roundabout way, yes, you are._

"Funny," Ayako said, no mirth on her face as she cocked her head. "That's what I'm hearing."

"I'm saying," said Naru, "that you may need more mental, emotional healing before throwing yourself back into our line of work."

"And that's why I speak with Dr. Darren, John's friend. You know, the trained therapist I've been seeing at least three times a week since Kiryu, sometimes more." Houshou suddenly stopped, the color draining from his face.

"That's why you don't tell me about new cases anymore," he said, his voice toneless. "You think that I'm worthless. That I can't be fixed."

 _And this is not the path we need to take._

"No," interrupted Lin, stepping forward, "we don't, and no, Naru doesn't either" He shot a sharp glace as his charge went to open his mouth, but thankfully thought better of it. "Naru is, however, worried about how you might react when back out into the field, so he wanted to ask you privately, after the meeting."

 _Anything's possible._

Houshou snorted at that, but his face regained a bit of color.

"Fine. Naru, I don't buy Lin's argument for a second, but let's pretend that was true. Since I'm here, you're going to let me know about this case, right?"

"Of course he is," agreed Lin, speaking for Naru and walking over to hand Houshou the papers.

"Will you be with us?" John asked. Lin shot him a look of thanks, but the priest ignored it, along with the annoyed look Naru gave him.

 _Probably for the best._

"I can't come out until tonight, but yes. I'm in." He turned to Naru. "Unless the boss says that I'm not."

"Would you listen to me if I did?" asked Naru, his voice acidic.

 _I don't think either one of you are listening to each other right now._

"Not unless you gave a factual reason."

Naru looked around the room, reading between the lines. Lin inclined his head slightly.

 _You need him back; we need him back._

"It seems I'm outnumbered in my desire," he said to cheers, "however!"

The sharp tone cut through the noise.

"If you are hurt, you need to step to the side."

"I'll do that," promised Houshou, nodding his head and holding Naru's gaze. "If, in return, you'll not make that decision for yourself. That you'll trust me to say if I'm in too much pain, or that I can't handle it."

 _I'm not sure either of you can keep those promises, so that will be something to look forward to._

The two of them stared at each other, neither one looking away. Lin coughed. In the background, it was quiet enough to hear Masako drink her tea.

"...deal," said Naru, getting up to shake Houshou's hand. "Right. Some of you already told me that you can't make it up there for tomorrow morning, so we're going to go up in shifts. Mai, John, Masako, and I will go up first. We're going to go around the theme park during the day and see if we can spot anything; several of the incidents have occurred then so there's a chance. The night shift, Ayako, Lin, Osamu, and Houshuo, will be able to gather data at night for a comparison. After that, we'll meet in the afternoon to compare details."

 _Well, I guess it was good that I slipped up and wrote eight people instead of seven._

"How are you all going to get up there?" asked Houshou.

"We'll take the trains and bus," answered Naru. "Mai and I will go up first to see how Mrs. Kawai's camera system is set up, then Masako and John will join when their previous engagements have ended. Houhous and Ayako can take a car together, and Osamu will be with Lin, which will allow us to bring up the rest of our equipment, and anything else that we've forgotten."

"Yes, yes, yes, thank you test gods!" exclaimed Osamu, pumping his fist and startling everyone. "Lin, I need to pick your brain for my Chinese history test, it's coming up next month. Can I ask you questions on the ride up? I want my essay to stand out from the rest of the class."

 _No surprise there. Oh well, there could be worse car companions._

Lin chuckled.

"I'm not sure how much information I'll be able to give you, but you're welcome to ask. Just realize that I might refer you to Google since it's been a while."

 _And if Naru were with me, I think I'd get the silent treatment for the whole ride._

"Done and done," said Osamu, eyes shining.

"Everyone knows what to do?" asked Naru. There was a chorus of nods and agreements. "Good. I'll see you all tomorrow night."

Conversations erupted around the room as Lin went back to where he'd been standing before.

 _Somehow, I don't think it's over yet._

"Mai, you've got that religion paper due tomorrow morning right? I can turn it in for you if you leave it with me."

"Great, let me go print it out at the 7-11 then. Come with me?"

Osamu gave her a thumbs up, swiping his backpack and waiting for Mai to finish gathering her things.

"You did finish it, right?"

"No, I'm going to give my professor a half-completed paper," snarked Mai, walking past Osamu and into the hallway. "Seriously? What kind of question..." Her voice trailed off as they moved further away.

 _Not the ones I was worried about._

"Masako, may I wait with you for your ride?" asked John

She smiled and nodded, allowing the priest to help her up from her chair.

"That would be lovely, thank you. Should we continue our conversation on life after death and ghosts?"

"I think we left off at the fact that only some people turn into ghosts, and that it's not everyone involved in a traumatic death."

 _Hmm… I would have thought John would stay, but he'll probably talk to Houshou tomorrow._

The two of them left as well, John waving goodbye to the remaining people in the room before turning back to Masako.

 _And I certainly expected Ayako to be waiting behind._

"I assume Houshou is waiting to speak with me, but why are you two still here?" asked Naru bluntly, looking at Ayako and Lin. "Haven't you done enough already?"

 _Feeling a little bitter? I guess it's been a while since you've been caught in one of my more obvious traps._

Houshou opened his mouth but Ayako beat him to the punch.

"I figured it would save time and energy to have this conversation with me as well," she snapped, crossing her legs. "You weren't going to tell Houshou about this case, were you?"

Naru's eyes darted to the monk, then back again to her.

 _Tell the truth Oliver._ Lin had to hide another smile as the countless memories that phrase invoked.

"No."

"Naru, I'm an adult," said Houshou, plopping down onto the couch. "Whether you think so or not, that means I can make my own decisions and can act on them as I choose to."

 _True… to a point._

"And as the owner of this company, I can choose how I run it, acting on my decisions as I see fit."

 _And also true to a point._

"Naru." Lin cut in, his tone a gentle rebuke. "We've talked about this. Personal feelings don't belong in company procedures."

 _We had to have this very talk when you decided exactly how you wanted to continue the search for Gene._

"He died in front of me," snapped Naru. "So forgive me in thinking that I don't want that to happen again."

"...maybe you should see a therapist about that." Houshou rubbed his chest as he said that. "I mean, I'm over it, and it was me that died. Technically."

 _Extinguishing the candle but ignoring the house fire._

"Naru, look at me. Houshou, you too." Ayako waited until both of them were looking at her. "Shut. Up.

Lin put a hand over his mouth, not quite covering a laugh that his shoulders betrayed by shaking. Both the men glared at him, but then turned back to Ayako. Lin remained silent, watching.

 _Thank you. They needed that._

"Naru, people have life-threatening accidents all the time. They can be gruesome, such as what you saw, or they can be silent, like an embolism. Either way, when a person has healed from them, as Houshou has, you can't continually treat them like glass. In the case of athletes, they get back to practice, or they find a new sport if they have to. He is physically fit to work a case, especially one in which the rest of us will be there to keep an eye on him."

She turned to face Houshou, eyes flashing.

"And you. Do you know why Naru's so hesitant? It's because he can't trust you. Or should I say, 'we' can't trust you."

 _Good. She's not pulling any punches._

Ayako took a deep breath, but kept her eyes on Hohusho's face even as hurt flashed across it.

"What we can trust is that you will do everything to protect us, but won't raise hand for yourself. I saw that firsthand; so did John. Yes, I know you did it for the best of reasons, and yes, there is even a clinical truth to what you did. In theory, it's better that one person be hurt instead of all three, so the other two can still be prepared for an escape. In theory. In real life, nobody wants to watch, helpless, as they person they love is-."

 _...this worked even better than I'd planned._

She stopped, her face flushing a bright red. Houshou sat there, his mouth opening and closing like the goldfish at a summer matsuri.

"Ayako-"

 _Not while your brain cells are still short-circuiting._

"Ayako is right," Lin cut in smoothly, talking over Houshou. "About both of you. Naru. This is not like Gene's death. Houshou chooses this to be his profession; an analogy would make him a firefighter. As the 'captain of the fire station,' it would be best for you not to sideline someone who is not injured. If you do, it could lead to more injuries to other people later on down the road. Houshou, let's take the analogy further. If you were a firefighter continually pushing your coworkers aside to run into flaming buildings, how do you think they would feel?"

"Frustrated," sighed Houshou, turning to Lin but continually trying to make eye contact with Ayako. "But-"

"No 'buts.' They signed up for this job, just as you did, and after so many cases they know that there's a possibility of being burnt. Let them do their jobs."

 _And if both Ayako and I can't get through your heads, then I don't think anyone can._

Both men sighed; Ayako stood up, smoothing down her bunched-up shirt.

"Sorry, but my pager's going off. I need to get back to the hospital."

 _Probably best to give them time to think it over. Double the time for Houshou._

"Be ready tomorrow night to patrol the theme park," said Naru.

"Um... LINE me when you want to drive up," added Houshou, rubbing the back of his head.

She nodded, then grabbed her purse and fled, high heels clicking at a fast pace down the hallway.

 _Time to drive the point home._

"Takigawa."

Lin arched an eyebrow just as Houshou turned to him.

"Don't mess this up," Lin said. "You have at least a two hour drive tomorrow; that's your best chance to talk to her."

 _And try to actually talk._

"About what?" asked Houshou, turning his hands up.

"Don't be stupid," sighed Naru. "About what she just let slip."

The monk snorted.

"Tell you what Naru. You tell Mai how you actually feel, and I'll consider taking romance lessons from you."

 _I wouldn't take romance lessons from either of you._

"Any idiot can see that she's in love with you, and you her."

 _Not helpful Naru._

"Yeah," sighed Houshou, looking at the doorway Ayako had just fled through. "Any idiot, huh?"


	2. Promise Pledged (John's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : Later chapters will contain violence and injury descriptions (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Whew! So much has happened since November, I still feel like it's 2018 - however, it's halfway through 2019, so thank you for waiting patiently! The plan in mind is at least a once a month update for Listening to Shatters. Enjoy!

* * *

 _Tuesday afternoon - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

"This looks like a cute theme park," John said to Masako as they stepped onto the platform and looked up. The small station felt even smaller with their floor to ceiling window, but everyone arriving could see a faint outline of the park's main attraction, a figure eight "double" Ferris Wheel called the Infinity. Enough sugar, tasting of childhood memories, was in the air that it could support a mass of hummingbirds, and screams kept bursting into range before dropping away. Even the train station was in on the act: painted clowns pointed to the exits, a lion with a top hat sat near the men's toilet, and a bunny wearing a purple tutu danced by the women's.

 _Cute, even if I'm not a fan of clowns._

"Doesn't really seem as if it's being haunted at the moment."

 _Though I know even beautiful, happy places can be haunted, sometimes more so than the despairing ones._

Masako opened her mouth, but was interrupted before she could add anything to John's comment.

"Looks can be deceiving," said Naru, stepping out from underneath the West Exit sign.

 _How good is his hearing? I didn't think he was that close._

"As such looks are here. Mai and I have already checked over the security network and there should be no problem hooking into it, but as we were warned, there will be some blind and hard-to-see spots. Most of the park is covered however, and that'll be a boon."

 _Nice to have good news._

"What did you want us to do now then, if you've already covered that?" asked Masako, stepping to the side as a small, green-clothed toddler lurched in her direction.

 _I thought it was just on the train that there weren't any men around, but it's the same here too. I guess at this time of day they're all still working._

John felt his shoulders relax a little as he took in the sight of many mothers walking along with their small children, chatting to other parent friends in groups.

 _Reminds me of the church outings I used to go to._

The little boy waved to Masako with a sticky hand, and was promptly grabbed by his mother.

"Now now Yusuke, let's not bother the nice big sister." The woman crouched down to look him in the eyes. "Say bye-bye, and we'll go see the animals!"

Masako mimicked the open-closed fist the child gave her, then smiled into her sleeve as the mother led her energetic offspring away.

"That was adorable," said John, smiling. "I wish I had gotten that on camera."

 _It's not often I hear Masako called '"big sister."_

"You'll have plenty of chances in the park," muttered Naru, rolling his eyes at the interaction.

"Are you okay?"

Mai cupped a hand over her mouth, but her eyes sparkled.

"He got called uncle by some kids," she whispered, loud enough that everyone heard it. The side of their boss's mouth twitched.

 _... he's got the soul of an uncle, that's for sure._

John tried to look innocent as Naru leveled a stare his way, almost as if the man could read his mind.

 _Or rather, for Oliver Davis, that he would_ _choose_ _to read my mind. Thankfully that's never been something to worry about with him, neither before nor after we learned his true identity_

"Must be the aura he gives off," remarked Masako, looking through a skylight to see clouds drift together in the sky.

"Moving this conversation back to where it belongs," said Naru, pinching the bridge of his nose. "For the rest of the day, we're going to cover the park. With all the reports that Melly wrote up, John, I want you to be prepared. I'm going to be taking notes with the portable equipment, and Mai, you'll be keeping an eye on Masako, who will sense what might be around."

 _A cautious, strong start playing to each of our strengths... he's closed up a bit since Kiryu, so it's harder for me to tell what he's thinking about, but I'm probably not wrong in guessing he's a bit stressed._

"Sounds like a plan," said John, taking a water bottle out from the side netting of his backpack and gulping down what remained. "Excuse me while I fill this up."

"It should be safe enough, right?" He heard Masako ask as he moved away.

Naru grunted.

"As far as we know, there are only the ghost kids, and none of them sound as if they're vengeful or angry. Pinching people also doesn't fall under that category.

 _Though it does leave the people pinched quite wound up._

"We should let them get to the hotel first, so they can drop off their luggage," suggested Mai. "That way Masako doesn't have to lug that suitcase around, and John can put down his backpack."

 _My shoulders would like that_.

"It might be easier to protect people when I don't have to worry about my stuff getting in the way," the priest joked, caping the bottle again.

"Good point." Naru turned to gesture. "The hotel's left after the exiting the East Gate, but the park's on the West Gate side."

"Then give us a few minutes and we'll join you," said John, adjusting his backpack. Naru was already in action, walking with Mai at his heels to the West Gate, so he and Masako waved goodbye and went East. Together, they started walking up a slight uphill, following a series of leafy arrows with the hotel's name written on them. There weren't too many people here, which meant that except for them, most of the sounds were of rustling winds and droning bees.

"I didn't ask you before," said Masako, her soft voice breaking the silence between them. "But... what do you think of this case?"

 _She's so much easier to read than Naru_.

"Worried it's going to be like Kiryu?" John asked, giving her a kind look.

"The other cases we had after that didn't need all of us. This is the first one though..."

She didn't need to say anymore. Unbidden, his memory brought back images of how Houshou had been tortured during their time in the cave. How bonds of love, protection, and family had been twisted against them.

 _The scent of blood never ending, pain that only grew sharper in the heart..._

"And it's a little hard to get back into the saddle, isn't it?" John stopped, closed his eyes, and took a deep breath that tasted of earth. The lack of clacking from Masako's suitcase meant that she had stopped too.

 _I banish those thoughts, those ghosts of did and what might have happened, with the power of the Lord's guidance, and his love shining within me._

Houshou's battered face started to fade away, and breathing became easier.

"We're going to have to face it sooner or later," John said gently, opening his eyes and facing Masako. Blue hydrangea framed her from behind, giving off the effect of sharpening the black ink of her hair. "It's too easy to let fear guide us, to prevent us from doing what's right."

"Is this what's right though?" She cocked her head. "Forcing him back into a job that nearly killed him."

John grinned even as he shrugged.

"I don't see any trace that we've forced him back into this. In fact, if I remember correctly, Naru tried to keep him out, and you saw how well that worked. Also, he's one of the strongest members of this group, with a God-given gift. Who are we to say not to use it?"

"His friends, who are worried about him," said Masako. She looked to the refreshing green tunnel to their left, studying the climbing ivy that was stretching for the roof. "We can do that, right?"

"Worry about him?" John reached out to squeeze her shoulder. The silk kimono felt cool to the touch, even though they were standing under the hot sun. "Of course. As friends we always should. We should also let him make his own choices, and be there for when he needs us."

"I've got a horrible feeling that this isn't going to go as planned," she confessed, her voice soft. "It's not based on anything, just... I guess it's just unfound worry, left over because I wasn't able to help in Kiryu."

 _And no matter how many times we say it wasn't your fault, you and Osamu are going to feel guilty, aren't you?_

"How about this then?" said John, rubbing her shoulder. "I'll keep an extra close eye on Houshou when I'm paired with him. Make sure he stays safe."

 _God, please help me keep that promise this time._

"...thank you." Neither of them mentioned that her voice trembled like an autumn leaf, nor that John had been the first one kidnapped after Houshou. Instead, Masako laid her head on John's shoulder for a few seconds; he stayed still, allowing her to take whatever strength she could from him.

 _Duty calls though._

"We should get going before Naru sends Mai after us."

Masako giggled, pulling away.

"Too true."

They began walking again, entering the cool tunnel and exclaiming over the morning glories entwined with the ivy that covered the archway. The garden motif grew stronger as they grew closer to the hotel door, which was circular and wooden, with a small brass ring set in the middle instead of off to the side. John opened it, waving Masako on before him.

"Ladies first."

She graced him with a grin, then glided into the lobby, peering around at all the plants, John following closely behind.

 _Wow... It truly feels as if we're in the middle of ae forest._

"Welcome to the Grove!" A young woman popped up from behind the front desk, short red hair a mass of flyaway curls. "My name's Rose, how may I help you?"

 _I wonder which came first, the name or the hair color?_

"Hello Rose." John felt his own smile become bigger as she turned her happiness beam on him. "We're staying here with a few friends, and were hoping to drop off our backpacks."

"Sure!" She thumped a huge hardcover book onto the table, gold glittering from the emerald green cover. "Name of reservation?"

John and Masako exchanged glances.

"It might be under Shibuya, Kazuya."

"Or SPR."

There was a knowing nod from Rose, and a quick tap to the side of her nose.

"I know who you are! You're Melly's friends, the ghost hunters!" She looked around the empty lobby, then leaned halfway over the desk one heel kicking up. "Do you really think the park's haunted?"

John had to chuckle.

 _If she could bottle her energy, I'm sure she'd be set for life._

"That's what we're here to find out. Sometimes it's just people playing pranks though."

The woman shook her head, curls springing from side to side.

"No way. There's too many people involved in this, too many complaints. And as the head of the front desk I have to log each one." She shook her head no one last time, a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead. "I'm 100% sure something's out there."

"As I said, that's what we're here to find out." John kept grinning, but he could feel it becoming forced. "Could you tell us our room numbers please?"

She jerked back in surprise, knocking a thick sheaf of papers to the floor.

"Oh! Yes! Of course!" Her right hand snatched a leaf and the left grabbed a flower. "Here! Leaves for men's room and flowers for the women's. Left and right, green and pink."

Masako took both of them, giving the green dyed wood over to John.

"I'll meet you back here in five minutes," she said, turning to the right, her luggage clacking across the floor.

John nodded, ducking under a moss green _noren_ and entering the men's side of the hotel. He found himself alone, the lush, wood-colored carpet swallowing all the sounds he made. He looked down at the number in his hand, but didn't really see it.

"God. Are we doing the right thing? Am I doing the right thing? I know we've all physically healed, with roads traveled mentally and spiritually, but... there are still so many miles to go. And I never want to see him that hurt again."

 _Not just Houshou. I never want to see any of us as hurt as he was._

He waited for a few seconds, but nothing happened. No bird chirped at him from one of the circular windows lining the wall, no tree tapped against the side of the building... nothing happened to make him feel that God had heard him.

 _It's fine Johnny-boy. You already know God listens, so you shouldn't need a sign of confirmation. If He wishes to give one, He will, and if not, not._

He continued walking, and finally, almost at the end of the row, were his and Houshou's room. He didn't bother flicking the lights on, just opening the door wide enough to drop his backpack inside.

"Wait..." Opening the door wider and letting sunlight spill into the room, John snatched up the backpack again, unzipping it to draw out his travel bible. Asking the question once again in his mind, he gently thumbed the pages, and opened the book at random.

"Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go." He let out a heavy sigh of satisfaction. "Thank you God, for listening to one person's fears out of so many, and thank you for taking the time to answer."

He slipped it back into the bag and left the bible behind, locking the door. With a lighter step, a clearer mind, and a stronger heart, he made his way back to the lobby where Rose was humming tunelessly as she watered the plants sprouting up around the room.

 _I guess Masako's not ready yet._

"Are you going to the park?" asked Rose, noticing that there was someone in the room.

"Yes." He gave her a small smile, and wasn't surprised to see one that was returned threefold.

 _Actually, she might be a good font of information._

"Do you have any suggestions for where to go?"

"Oh, yes yes yes yes, there are so many places Melly's made completely awesome!" Rose put down the watering can and grabbed a colorful leaflet from the nearby wooden rack. "Here's a map! Ooh, and I can circle the places you should go!"

"That would be very helpful, thank you," John said. There was something infectious about the woman's happiness and energy, an exuberance that felt as if it'd been missing for a while.

 _Since we learned Houshou was taken, if I had to guess at a precise day and time. Sure, we got him back, but he's not the same as he was before. To be fair, I'd say none of us are the same as we were before._

"Okay, so here're the best places to head to!" She showed him the map as she kept scribbling circles. "Here's the House of Mirrors, Infinity of course, the Shooting Gallery, there's Lazer Tag right next to the Picnic Area, and we host events too!"

Out of the corner of his eye John saw Masako emerge from the women's side, coming out from under the pale pink _noren_.

"Thank you very much Rose," he said, taking the pamphlet from her. "Any particular place that you recommend, somewhere that stands out above the rest?"

 _That might be the place to see first._

"House of Mirrors!" came the immediate reply. "Sometimes I'll go in there and be in a really bad mood, but I always come out feeling clean and happy."

John tucked it into a chest pocket.

 _Okay, no matter where else we check today, we need to go by the House of Mirrors. Also, I'm a little curious about what her "really bad mood" looks like._

"Have a great time you two!" Rose then lowered her voice, whisper-shouting the next bit. "And good luck with the ghosts!"

John and Masako waved as they exited the reception area, then smiled at each other, teetering on the edge of laughter.

"She reminds me of Mai," John whispered, his voice growing stronger as they left the area. "Or how Mai used to be."

"She'll heal too. I know she's been better since she started talking to Bou-san, and I mean more than using him for her Buddhism tests."

John shook his head.

 _Not surprising. Mai uses me for English and Christianity studies when she can._

They talked about the places Rose had circled and which ones sounded best as they walked, and before they knew it, they'd caught back up with Mai and Naru, finding one of them pacing the street while the other sat on a nearby section of wall, legs thumping gently against the brick.

"Finally!" Naru gave them both his patented _look_. "What took you both so long?"

"I made you tea," said Masako, pulling a thermos out of her sleeve and handing it over to Naru. "Iced."

 _Ah, that's what kept her for the extra time._

Their boss let a smile slip as Mai pulled a face from behind his shoulder.

"Thank you Masako."

"It's hot out today, and I didn't want you becoming dehydrated."

He nodded, settling the thermos into a light backpack on the ground near his feet.

"Is everyone ready?"

John touched the rosary buried in his pocket, and tapped the bottle of fountain water he'd blessed at the train station. Masako nodded, clasping her hands together. Mai, for all that she'd been making faces at her friend earlier, took up a protective stance on the left as John took the right. Naru fiddled with the switches and dials on the contraption in his hands until he was satisfied, then took up the bag.

 _Knocked down for a little bit, but not out. Not when there are so many others that need our help._

John felt a fierce sense of pride well up in his chest at the actions of his friends. His found family.

"First place to go is the Picnic Area. It's in the middle of the park, which means we can use it to access any other attraction."

 _And it's also near lunch, so hopefully we'll pick up something to eat as well._

The four of them began to make their way there, trying to stay out of the way of small children, strollers, and mothers either speed walking or traveling in groups. It wasn't easy. Time after time they had to stop, giving the majority of the path to others.

 _This isn't working._ John thought as he stepped to the side again, leaving Masako briefly to allow a mother with twins to roll by, one of the toddlers sleeping even as the other howled. _We'll take the entire day to get to the first three places on the pamphlet at the rate we're going now._

"Naru, I think we need a new plan."

"Seconded," added Mai, rolling her eyes. "We stand out like a sore thumb."

 _Hadn't even thought of that, but she's hit the nail on the head._

"If we're trying to keep a low profile, then this isn't helping," added John, Mai nodding in agreement.

Naru slowed to a stop as well, stepping into the shade of the trees lining the path.

 _Shade sounds like a good idea._

"You're right. There weren't so many people here before. Any better ideas?"

John hummed, thinking.

"The original idea of going to the Picnic Area was a good one. We can stop and get some food while Masako searches the area. Other than that though, I think we ought to pretend to be ordinary people enjoying the park."

"On dates!" said Mai excitedly, her body practically vibrating at the idea.

"Dates?"

 _Exactly Naru. And if we're to have water dumped on us, at least it's summer._

"The other option would be to borrow someone's child," said John, grinning as Naru's face soured. He saw that Mai was laughing openly at the idea, and Masako was hiding her smile behind her kimono sleeve again. "Unfortunately, the children at the church have school right now, so dates are the better choice. And we can say it's a double date, so there's no need to split up."

"... very well." Naru let out a little groan. "Let's play pretend."

Mai jumped up and grabbed his arm just as Masako took a step towards him.

"Claimed!" she cheered, drawing attention from the families around them.

"...fine." Masako gave a slight bow. "I'll be John's date."

 _Well, at least I'm not wearing my collar. That would be more than a little awkward, an obvious man of the cloth on a date... though it's possible that rule isn't well known in Japan?_

They fell into step two by two, Mai and Naru taking the lead with John and Masako following behind, and actually began to make some progress. The Picnic Area was a small "farm" surrounded by tables, which were further surrounded by fences, and had a cornucopia of smells coming from the area.

 _I think I'm in luck—I even smell corn dogs._

"Do you sense anything?" Naru's focus was on the task, and not on the mouthwatering atmosphere.

She nodded, a slight saddened cast to her face as she kept staring at a particular area. John trailed her gaze, but he could only see happy children, some of them with ice-cream smeared all over their faces, and tired parents with bloodshot eyes, wet wipes, or both.

"Everyone here seems to be having a good time."

"And they are too," Masako said quietly to John. "There are five children, all of them ghosts, playing tag among the tables."

 _At least they have each other. Kenji would have enjoyed being in a place like this with friends._

She took a step forward, frowning as the part of the fence swung open. "Are they supposed to squeak? And why is it so heavy?"

"It's for the kids," Mai said. "Look."

John glanced over to see a three year old trying to get out, but who wasn't tall enough to unhook the gate herself. Off to the side, her mother kept a close eye on her, but otherwise allowed the child to do what she wanted, which was to keep trying to leave through the gate.

 _Hmm. I wonder if that would be useful at the church?_

"I bet it squeaks on purpose to let people know that it opened."

"So they can make sure their kid didn't escape," said Masako, a knowing tone in her voice. "That's actually pretty smart. How did you know that?"

"I overheard a woman complain once about the heavy doors at Toys R Us, and the cashier told her they're made heavy on purpose, so that kids can't leave the bathroom while their parents are using it."

John nodded.

"This Melly of yours seems to know her stuff," he said to Naru. "Will we be meeting her?"

"Possibly. At the very least, I want to know everyone's thoughts on the park before you all hear hers."

"Oooh, they have _takoyaki_ here! Hey, Naru, is SPR buying lunch?"

There was silence as all eyes turn to the man in charge.

"1,000 yen worth, for each person," he said eventually. "Dinner will be on your own dime."

"Cheapskate," muttered Mai, tugging on Masako's sleeve. "Come on, let's go get some food."

The two of them made a beeline for the food stalls, John and Naru watching as they left.

"Out of the papers we received," John said carefully, thinking about the best wording. "Did you leave off something? Concerning five child ghosts perhaps?"

Naru turned to him, staring.

 _It almost feels as if he's staring through me._

But then Naru arched an eyebrow, and everything was back to normal.

"And if I did?"

"Masako's already seen them. They were playing hide and seek between the tables." John looked again, but he could still only see living children, playing and laughing and crying.

"I thought she might. I'll give out the rest of that information tonight - suffice to say, one of the employees already ran into them, so I'm not surprised that Masako can collaborate the story."

 _I'm not sure I like that information is being withheld, even if it's to test and make sure that it's all correct and updated._

"Anything else missing that we should know about?"

"For now, just that one of the children is the sister of an employee in the cafe."

John checked the map. While the Picnic Area was center of the park, the cafe was closer to the hotel, almost to the side of it. It also was in line for a great view of the double-circled Ferris Wheel, but there were no other attractions around.

 _It almost seems as if the hotel was made for quiet-seeking guests, and the park happened to be built afterwards._

"You've already found that much activity?" Naru was craning his neck to see what was marked on the map.

"No, the woman at the hotel said these are the places to check out." John handed it over to Naru. "It would make sense that the kids like the main attractions, right?"

"If we're here only for the kids, then yes. I can't imagine that they are the cause of all these pinching problems." He handed back the map. "However, I'd be interested in the House of Mirrors."

"Naru! They've got cheese and onion _takoyaki_!" Mai came running back, dragging Masako with her. "Don't they smell delicious!?"

 _Not as good as the corn dogs do._

"Masako, didn't you get anything?"

She shook her head.

"I went to look only; I don't want food or drink while I'm searching. It usually makes me feel sick."

"Let's grab a seat then, so you can sit down." Naru didn't wait, striding off to the nearest table that would sit all of them comfortably, as well as one that was a little away from the noisy crowd. John let out a little sigh as he saw their boss slip in and sit down where a group of women had been standing and waiting for their friend.

"Should we help him out?" asked Mai as one of the women began to scold Naru. He replied quickly, folding his arms over his chest.

"...I think he can handle it himself," remarked John, giving a hesitant laugh as two other women joined the conversation, one of them with a squalling child in their arms.

"I've changed my mind," added Masako, linking arms with John as their boss snapped back at the three women. "I think I'd like to get something to drink."

 _Hopefully those corn dogs will take a few minutes to make…_

The three of them went to a hotdog stand first, allowing John to grab a chili-cheese corn dog, then walked to a flavored soda stand for Masako, where she indulged her sweet tooth by getting a strawberry Italian soda. By the time she had received the rest of her change, the mothers had taken over the table, and Naru was gone.

"...did they destroy him?" asked Mai, her voice in awe.

 _As fearsome as Japanese mothers can be, I don't think our boss would have been defeated that easily._

"No," said John, peering over the tables. "He moved to one closer to the event stage."

"Some help you lot were," Naru groused as they walked up holding their food and drinks.

"My apologies, I decided I was thirsty after all," said Masako, sliding onto the bench next to him. Mai took the other side, which left John in the seat across from Naru.

"This'll have to do," he said. The statement was quickly followed by a wince as a little girl on the stage shrieked when her mother came to get her. "Hara-san?"

"I can work here," was the quick reply, followed by a sip from her drink.

"Good, tell us what you sense around the area, or if you see anything." Naru took out a small notebook and uncapped a pen that was clipped to the side.

"There's a large presence of ghosts here for such a happy area," she said, shutting her eyes. "It's a little nice actually. I don't sense any anger from them."

Naru gave a small grunt, writing down exactly what she was saying. John took his first bite of his chili-cheese corn dog.

 _Perfection._

"There's one that seems to be the leader of the group," continued Masako. "She's not playing with the others, but she keeps cautioning them not to run through the living people in the park."

"Describe her."

"She's thin, with a slender, graceful neck and a short haircut that brushes against the tips of her shoulders. All of the kids are wearing shirts and shorts, or in her case, it's a skirt. Most of them have sneakers, but a couple have sandals too."

"And the others?"

"There's a younger girl with long, free flowing hair. She's the fastest runner, and looks to be the most energetic. If she's tagged, then she doesn't stay it for long. The other three are boys. They all look younger than the girl, but two of them are taller, so she might look older than her age."

John finished the hot dog and wiped his hands on the wet napkin.

"Have any of them noticed you?"

"I don't think-" Masako's voice stopped. "Yes. She has. She's pointing to us and telling the kids not to come near us."

"Does she believe we're a threat?"

"She's coming over." Masako fixated on a spot right behind John's shoulder, and the priest had to resist the urge to turn around.

 _It's not as if I can see her_

"Oh..." Masako sniffed, then nodded.

"What's she saying?" asked Mai, turning around and trying to see the young spirit.

"She's saying that if we need to talk to any of them, we need to talk to her. The others are younger though, and they sometimes don't understand why some people can see them but their families can't."

"Oh, that sounds horrible. So she doesn't want us confusing them."

"Because then she'll have to console them," agreed Masako. "Sure, we understand. Is there some way to get in touch with you?"

Naru kept writing and taking memos in his small notebook.

"There's a tree in the garden where she spends time away from the little kids. If we go there, we should be able to talk to her."

"Day or night?"

"Does 'she' have a name?"

"Day. She doesn't like the little ones to be out at night. People get a little wild." Masako pauses. "And her name is Sumire."

 _Poor Sumire. God, you've always looked out for children, so I hope you don't mind me asking for your light to wash over the ones here ._

"Thank her. If we have any questions to ask, we'll make sure to talk later." Naru slipped the notepad back into his pocket and stood up. "John, do you still have that map with you?"

"Yes?"

"Let's talk a stroll and see what's around here. Any areas that we think need to be investigated closer we can have the night group check."

"Night group?" echoed Mai, standing up as well. John grabbed his trash and Masako's, detouring to a bin to throw everything away. "I thought we were only dividing up like that for the first day?"

"... in total, we'll split four and four. That'll let us cover more ground. Looking over the incidents that prompted this case, they've occurred equally through night and day. Of course, if we spot a dangerous area or spirit when we're out, then the groups won't be split."

"Who would be in each group?" asked Masako.

 _She's most likely thinking back to the promise I made earlier._

"Tonight, by luck of the draw, will be Lin, Osamu, Ayako, and Houshou. Later on, that might change, or it might stay the same. Osamu would be better off on the day team if I need to tap him for research, or, if things at night are indeed 'wild' as the spirit said, then it might be better to move John."

The priest nodded, putting his hand in his pocket and grabbing his rosary beads again.

"You wouldn't be doing that so I keep a close eye on Houshou, would you?" he asked, his voice friendly and even. Naru didn't look at him.

"It's logical," their boss answered after a few steps. "Out of the four of us, you have the most usable power."

 _True. Masako has a completely defensive power and Naru can't use his at all. Between myself and Mai, she's got the spirit, but I am more experienced, and stronger. Plus, maybe I should be on the night crew anyway, if I want to keep my promise to Masako._

The four of them continued to walk and talk, taking in the sights and sounds of the Color Path, standing near the Infinity Ferris Wheel, listening to shrieks from the Swinging Ship, and even getting splashed by the one water ride, Log Jam. It was near the House of Mirrors that Masako requested they linger in the area.

"Feel something?"

Masako nodded, folding her legs under a rose backed bench as she sat down.

"It doesn't feel bad. Or even good. Just... odd."

"Odd how?" asked Naru, digging for his notebook.

Masako looked to the brightly colored maze. _FIND YOUR TRUESELF!_ proclaimed the sign, protruding above a collection of masks shaped from mirrors.

"I recognize the superhero mask," said Mai, pointing it out. "But does anyone know the others?"

They all studied the display.

"That one, all the way to the left, is from _The Phantom of the Opera_. My family and I saw the show when I was younger."

"There's a mask from Venice there too, the one with the glitter on it," added John, smiling with fond memories of visiting the Vatican, then taking a side trip to Italy before heading back to Japan.

 _Using the mirror part makes it look a little strange though, normally they're painted._

"...I think one of them's a death mask," Mai said slowly. "It looks like the ones from my history class at school."

Naru made a noise at that, but the rest of them stayed silent.

"It feels like it's going to pop from pressure." Masako rubbed her arms. "There's a build up inside that's cold and moldy."

 _That doesn't sound good. What could be causing it?_

"Noted," said Naru. "We'll bring some equipment this way later and see if anything's picked up."

"Where to next then?" asked John, shifting from side to side.

 _I might not be as sensitive as Masako, but there's something here that's getting under my skin as well._

"... we'll pass by the shooting gallery, wind along the Garden Snail Trail, and get back to the hotel by six. I want to meet the others when they get here and brief them."

"Are you going to tell them about our map?"

Naru shook his head.

"No. I'll warn them there might be trouble afoot, but I want to see the places they pick up on. We'll compare maps later on."


	3. I'm Fine (Bou's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : Later chapters will contain violence and injury descriptions (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : The plan in mind (still) is at least a once a month update for Listening to Shatters, but this seemed to end on the note I wanted it to, so enjoy!

* * *

 _Tuesday early afternoon - Ayako's house_

* * *

Houshou shifted from foot to foot, jangling keys in his hands so that they sounded the band's latest drum rhythm. His car was parked on the side of the road, and from the curtain twitches he could see, the local police were going to be called to question him if he stayed there much longer.

"Come on Ayako," he groaned, starting over with the beat. "How long does it take you to pack?"

 _Boom boom boom, tish thud - boomity boom boom crash!_

Houshou was in the middle of where the melody went from the guitar to the drums and back when a door slam jolted him from the song.

"Thanks for waiting!"

Ayako stood at the top step in front of her house, wearing a sleeveless orange turtleneck with a long brown skirt. Simple, maybe, but it looked good on her. Autumn personified.

 _"Don't mess this up."_ Lin's words echoed in his head.

"...shou?" Ayako gave him an odd look, concern mixed with curiosity. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yeah... sorry about that, I was just, um, drifting off." He lunged forward for her luggage, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Here, let me get that."

 _Holy hell, what's in here, bricks?_

He nearly dropped it and she laughed, putting her hand over her mouth when he raised an eyebrow at her.

"It's a little heavy, isn't it?"

"What do you have in here?" asked Houshou, ignoring the twinge in his arm. He had a lot more phantom pains nowadays.

 _Don't think about it - everything's healed, those bones and muscles need to stop complaining._

"It's all my medical equipment." She went quiet for a second, then looked down at the ground. "It's what... what I would have needed to save you in the cave."

 _Ah._

"Good decision on taking it then," he said, turning around so he could pop it into the trunk. "If anyone needs it this time, we'll have it. I mean, hopefully no one will actually need it, but still..." Houshou froze as he felt a hand settle on his shoulder, the last word trailing off.

"It's okay." Her voice was gentle, a zephyr swirling over the river. "I understand what you're trying to say."

 _She really does, doesn't she? Has it always been that way?_

He felt a huge weight roll off his shoulders, along with that contradictory feeling of being both bone tired and lighter than air at the same time. "Thanks."

 _For doing everything you could do then, and for everything you're doing now._

"Come on, let's head up to the hotel. I'm sure Naru's itching to put us to work," joked Ayako, walking around the car and sitting in the passenger seat. Houshou fought the suitcase into the truck, then slammed the top down, getting in the driver's side and looking back at where the nosy neighbor had camped in front of their window.

"Friend of yours?"

"Hardly," snickered Ayako. "She's the terror of the town, mendoukusai Maekawa. Makes it her business to know everybody else's."

"Sounds like a few monks I knew back on the mountain." He threw the car into reverse and checked the dashboard camera to make sure the way was clear.

"Really?" An amused lilt colored her voice. "Isn't Buddhism supposed to teach not wanting things?"

"It's a hard rule to enforce when novice monks are bored," Houshou laughed. "And when nothing happens, they're happy enough to make it up."

 _One of the things I don't miss from the mountains._

He reached for the radio knob, then hesitated. "Pop, right?"

"Anything with a beat. Pop, or rock is good, but I never got into metal since it's too hard to hear the lyrics."

He went through a few stations until "Monster" came on. Then he concentrated on the narrow lanes he needed to take to get out of the city. Ayako was kind enough to stay silent until they reached the expressway, letting him focus on dodging pedestrians, bikes, and pets.

 _Okay, a plus for the mountains is that most roads are empty, even if I have to watch out for snow and ice._

"No bad thoughts about driving?" she asked, glancing over at him.

"What?"

 _Smooth Houshou. Come on, you should be talking to her about something, not forcing her to limp the conversation along._

"Just, um, the last time you were driving, you and Mai had problems." Her voice sounded tight, as if she hadn't wanted to bring it up.

 _Oh yeah._

"With everything else that happened, I kinda forget about that part," he admitted, speeding up to overtake someone driving an old Toyota, the old orange and yellow senior driver sticker hanging on the back.

"That's fair. A lot went on later."

 _Ask her!_

"Ayako-"

"Houshou-"

The two of them paused, then laughed.

"You go first," he said, nodding to her.

"Okay." She took a deep breath. "I wanted to talk about what I said yesterday."

Houshou felt his heart sink.

 _Should have expected this. She just wants to explain that it was all a mistake._

"Not a problem," he said, trying to keep his tone cheerful. "I'm sure it was just a slip of the tongue, and that you didn't really mean it."

Her mouth fell open, and then there was a fist hitting his shoulder.

"Ayako!" he yelped, his grip on the wheel tightening. "I'm driving!"

"Then don't be obtuse!" she snapped back. "I meant exactly what I said!"

 _Really?_

"...why?" Puzzlement leaked into his voice. "When?"

"I have for a while." Her voice grew quieter. "Ever since we went to help John's church, actually."

 _Since back then?_

He passed by a truck transporting soap, then a family in a Subaru.

"...I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure how you felt, and I didn't want to set myself up for disappointment, or to not be part of the SPR when you said you didn't like me."

 _How long ago was that case? Two, three years ago? I think so. Sounds about right anyway. I thought she just found me annoying, I'm sure she could find someone better, so why settle for me?_

"... and then I thought that I was going to lose you anyhow, no matter what I did or didn't..." Her voice trailed off. "Houshou? Say something."

"Something," he replied automatically, earning another shoulder punch. "Ow!"

He turned to see her furious brown eyes, then yanked his attention back to the road.

"I'm sitting here pouring my heart out to you and you're making jokes!?"

Houshou played back the last few minutes in his brain.

 _Shit!_

"No no no, that's not what I meant to do," he said, grabbing her hand. As much as he wanted to look at her, he kept facing straight. "I was just, so surprised you liked me, that's all I could think about!"

 _...I'm not sure if that helped..._

She was watching him, he could feel the stare.

"Should I forget what I said Takigawa-san? Or should-"

"No!" he blurted out, his voice rough.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Ayako turn to look at him.

"You didn't even hear the rest of what I was going to say."

"It doesn't matter," Houshou said, shaking his head. "I don't want to forget what you said."

There was a little snuffling noise, and when he glanced at her he could see she was trying to hold back laughter.

"What's so funny?"

"Us," she said, wiping tears from her eyes. "We're the oldest of the group, excluding Lin, and we're fumbling our way around this like Naru does with Mai."

"Hopefully with a bit more respect," grumbled Houshou, slowing down so a truck could pass.

"Yes. Our own special brand of respect," she added wryly, tone light and teasing. "But respect nonetheless."

They drove a little bit longer, the tires eating up the kilometers, and the music largely ignored for the most part as they chatted.

"How do-" Houshou cleared his throat. "How do you want to do this?"

"I don't want to tell the others," Ayako said immediately. "Naru's probably the only one who won't react, but the rest of them? Mai's going to want to throw a party, which she'll easily talk John into helping with. Osamu will be crying all over you and playacting that he's heartbroken. And Masako will have that knowing smile, along with Lin."

He laughed at the end of her tirade, heart feeling lighter than it had in months.

 _Months that feel like years.._.

"True. I can imagine them doing exactly that. So we'll start this on the down low then." His eyes flickered to her and he grinned. "I don't mind."

"Bou-san... is that car...?" Ayako's voice trailed off as she looked out the windshield.

 _Why are they on the wrong side of the road?_

He tapped the horn twice, but the high-beams stabbing him in the eyes didn't waver.

"Is he aiming for us?" muttered Houshou, laying his hand on the horn and keeping it there. Ayako's eyes grew wide as she pushed herself further back in her chair.

"They're not slowing down."

 _No. If anything, they've sped up._

Houshou didn't bother flicking a blinker on as he switched lanes.

"They might be unconscious."

"In a straight line?" asked Ayako, reaching for her purse.

"...what the hell?" Houshou raised his hand to cut off the glare from the lights. "They moved into our lane again."

 _That can't be by accident - they're targeting us deliberately!_

"Bou-san!" Ayako grabbed his arm and he let out a hiss as her nails dug in. "Why are you staying in the same lane?"

"Waiting." He replied in a curt tone. "Make sure you're buckled up."

She withdrew, whimpering as the car drew closer. Houshou felt a flare up in his knuckles, a painful protest at how hard he was clutching the wheel.

"Three..."

"Why?"

"They changed with us before." Houshou grit his teeth. "They'll just do it again. Two..."

"If they turn at the same-"

"Hang on!"

Houshou closed his eyes as he yanked right. The crash that he braced himself for, the abrupt slam, cutting glass, and piercing metal... none of that came. The car bounced and shuddered as it reached the median, but it did eventually die down, along with the scream echoing in his right ear. He tried to breathe, his shuddering heart strangling his throat and only allowing gasping.

 _What kind... what kind of asshole!?_

The car finally stopped completely, out of gas and velocity. .

"What... was that?"

"Someone who's going to get someone else killed," he answered her in a low voice. "Fuck."

Ayako tried to reach her purse again, getting it on the third try. With shaking hands she pulled her phone out, tapped a few buttons on it, then held it up to her ear. Houshou half listened as she talked to the police, telling them about the car going the wrong way, and where they were along the expressway.

"They've already sent out a patrol car," she said, putting her phone back in her purse. "We're not the only ones who called it in."

"Good."

 _I don't think I'll ever get my heart to calm down._

His hands kept shaking too, and there was a fog of confusion blowing into his mind.

 _What's wrong with me? Ayako's fine, I'm fine, the car's fine. Relax._

"Hope they catch him," Houshou finally said, conscious of Ayako's eyes on him.

"Do you want me to take over driving? I don't mind," she added quickly.

He opened his mouth to say yes, but nothing came out.

 _I don't want her to think I'm not strong enough. I want to be on this case, I want to help people again._

"I'm your girlfriend-" she paused, letting the word float in the air, a small smile at the corner of her lips. "Your girlfriend now. Do you want me to nag you for the keys?"

"Heh... you would have done that anyway." His grin felt forced, but she accepted it with a spark of mischief in her eyes.

"Damn straight," she said, smirking. "So hand them over."

Neither of them mentioned that it took two tries to work the keys out of the ignition, nor that Houshou mostly slid along the car as he switched to the passenger side, his legs were too wobbly to hold him up.

"Something interesting about adrenaline," Ayako said, adjusting the driver's seat, "is that for most people, their response is either flight or fight. One or the other. Then there are people who fight against their basic instinct, and move to whichever one they think would be best for the situation."

"And?" Houshou buckled himself in, sitting up stiffly.

 _What does this have to do with me?_

"Your first instinct was always to run to the fight, to the problem," explained Ayako, settling down behind the wheel. "I remember how you reacted to that spirit dog, and those nasty zombies. Our last case together though... you started with fight, but then, at the end, it became flight. You were trying to get away, trying to get us away." She shrugged. "You switched. Now your body's a little confused about which one is correct. Something to think about before you start yelling at yourself for not reacting how you believe you should have."

 _... that might be true. And my first reaction was to make sure we were out of danger, so that's good._

"My first fight left my knees knocking so bad I couldn't stay standing," added Ayako, pulling back into the passing lane. "Working as a doctor, I've got a lot better at dealing with life and death situations; I won't be shaking until later tonight, when there's no one else around me. Why don't you take a nap? Let your body cleanse the tension and stress naturally."

There was something he wanted to say about that, something about how sad it was to let only the dark see you fall apart, but his brain wasn't working.

 _A nap sounds heavenly._

"... you don't mind?" he asked hesitantly.

"I wouldn't offer it if I did." She looked at him, then quickly turned back to the road. "It's part of this relationship thing, right? Taking care of each other. I think you've got the better part of the deal since I'm a doctor, but we can't all be winners."

"Hey, I'm a musician. I'll write a rock song about you." Houshou reached for a pillow in the backseat, snagging it along with a fleece blanket.

"Oh?" Her lips settled into a red smirk. "I look forward to hearing it then."

He settled into the seat and stretched his legs out, already feeling the pull of sleep at the corners of his senses.

 _Guess I still need a bit more healing. Ugh, when am I going to stop feeling so tired?_

* * *

 _Tuesday early evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

The next thing he knew, someone was shaking his shoulder.

"Hey, Houshou. Get up, we're pulling into the parking lot."

 _Huzah?_

He blinked, wiping away at the crust that had formed at the corners of his eyes.

"Already? I thought I was going to drive?"

She shrugged, concentrating on lining up the car perfectly in the parking spot.

"You looked so cute sleeping, I didn't have the heart to wake you. Besides, that way you got to miss Naru's message of 'where are you you're late'?"

 _Thankfully._

"We're the last ones to arrive, Lin and Osamu got here about an hour ago and have already unpacked. We're meeting in the hotel lobby, and then the four of us are going to check out the park at night." She unbuckled her belt.

"Are we splitting into teams?" Houshou yawned, feeling his jaw crack.

"Not sure. Naru didn't mention it, so either he will during the meeting or it'll be up to us." She shut off the engine and took the keys. "Feeling better?"

"Much," he said, nodding. "Thank you."

 _I apparently needed that._

She grinned at him.

"Good. I'm glad you got a bit more rest."

Houshou climbed out from his side and cracked his neck, almost groaning in relief at the sharp pain; on the other said, Ayako was stretching, hands held high to the night sky .

"I've got the two backpacks," he called out, opening the backseat door and snagging them.

 _Easier to carry than that giant bag of her._

"Great, then I've got my medical supplies."

"You can keep your set of matching bricks," Houshou teased, slamming the door shut. He looked around, noticing that the lot was about half full. "Huh. Is it just me, or are there a lot of cars here for the night?"

"There could be an event going on inside the park," suggested Ayako, walking past him and locking the doors. "Or maybe this place also doubles as the community parking lot?"

The two of them found a painted trail on the blacktop and followed it, Houshou stepping from star to star and Ayako ignoring them completely.

 _Gotta find fun when you can_ Houshou thought as he jumped to the last star.

"Whoa... do you see the hotel?"

Ayako studied the building, which was overflowing with everything and anything green. The scent of greenery was heavy on the air, but it was sprinkled with a light perfume as the same time. Golden lights warmed the windows and made the whole place look like a painting come to life.

 _Who was that artist who always drew light? Kincaid? Kinkade? Something like that - this looks like one of his pictures come to life._

"It's beautiful..." sighed Ayako, tilting her head towards it. "Full of life, and energy too."

 _Wholesome._

"HEY!"

They both turned to see Mai jogging up the path next to them, waving both hands frantically.

"Wow," she said skidding to a stop nearby. "What took you guys so long?"

"Packing," said Houshou.

"Crazy driving," explained Ayako.

Mai's face swung between the two of them.

 _She looks like she's trying to sniff something out... can she tell that we decided to date?_

Houshou rubbed the back of his neck, fingers digging into stiff muscles.

 _Huh. Guess I slept a bit wrong._

"Riiight." She looked at both of them a bit longer, then shrugged. "Anyhow, you guys are going to love this place! They've added and redone so much stuff I feel bad I haven't been back in so long."

"Can you grab my backpack? It's the red one Bou-san's carrying."

"I can handle it."

The two of them looked at each other. Ayako grabbed the bag, but Houshou refused to let go.

 _I can carry it, it's not that heavy._

Ayako gave him a look.

"Why waste an opportunity to put Mai to good use?" She laughed at the look she got from the younger girl. "And since we're rooming together, it's an even better idea."

"If it'll make Naru stop complaining about wasting time," huffed Mai, the remark allowing her to take the backpack from Houshou.

 _Good to know some things don't change._

"Besides," said Ayako, bumping into him with her hips. "It's not like we're going out."

 _That's the game, huh?_

Houshou bumped her back and mouthed the word _really?_ at her.

"So what did you do today Mai?"

 _Is all that energy from this place, or sugar?_

"The four of us went 'round the park looking for hotspots."

"Find any?" asked Houshou, adjusting his backpack so that it didn't dig into his shoulders so much.

 _I'm sure this place pulls ghosts from all around - emotional locations are like vortexes._

"Yes and no."

 _Huh? What kind of answer is that?_

Mai wrinkled her face when they both turned to her for more information. "Can't say more, under orders!" She legged it forward, getting to the circular door and pulling it open to reveal a lobby with all the SPR members, and a young man behind the hospitality counter.

"Glad you both decided to show up," said Naru, walking over to them. "Next time you're going to be late, call."

 _Wait... is he pissed that we were late, or that we didn't call?_

"Sorry Naru," apologized Ayako, giving a small bow. "We were almost involved in a car accident."

He frowned, his gaze switching between the two of them as if choosing who to question first.

"What happened?"

"Nothing much," Houshou found himself explaining, meeting their boss's eyes. "Just some crazy person going down the wrong way of the interstate. Deliberately severing to hit us."

Naru flinched as the others gathered around to ask if they were okay; the monk felt a little sorry about bringing up bad memories, but there wasn't any other way to phrase it. The wave of family became cloying, too warm, and over smothering.

 _Okay, I need to get out from underneath everyone._

"Hey, John." He waited until he'd gotten the man's attention before he continued. "Where's our room?"

"Through the green _noren_ ," the priest replied. "It might be easier if I walk you there."

"Give us a minute to drop off our stuff Naru, then we'll be back for the meeting." Houshou said, waving as he followed John past even more leaves and flowers.

 _It's so much easier telling him that we're going to do something instead of asking._

"I'm glad that you and Ayako are okay," said John as soon as they stepped into the hallway. "That must have been scary."

 _All my years of driving and that's never happened._

"I was more worried they would turn in the same direction as us. Oh, wow..." Houshou gasped as John turned on the lights to the last room in the hallway. There were two extra large beds, a small table to sit at, and a large TV with a beanbag plopped in front of it, complete with the latest system and a poster of available games. "Just for us? This Melly really wants us to solve the case, doesn't she?"

"Either that, or she's very thankful for taking her seriously,"John's voice was low. "From what Mai said, it sounds as if some people have laughed at her 'ghost' problem."

 _Yeah... funny things, ghosts._

He looked around the room again, then turned off the lights.

"We should probably get back, I'm sure Naru's steaming from the ears at this point," snickered Houshou.

"I think he's just hungry," confided John. "He didn't have anything to eat for lunch earlier today and we haven't had dinner yet."

"Nothing?" Houshou shot him a look and the priest shrugged.

 _That seems strange._

"I don't think he's sick of anything, I just think he forgot to eat."

"Things are that exciting already?"

"No, it's just that this is the first time we've covered a place so big and with so many people. While we're here though, how are you doing?"

 _Fine._

"I'm fine, John," Houshou made sure to smile at his friend. "A little tired, but ready to dive right in."

Those blue eyes blinked at him, checking him out from top to bottom, and it was all the monk could do to not stick his tongue out. He must have pass muster as the Aussie returned the smile, rubbing the back of his head.

"Just... if you need an ear, or if there's anything I can do for you..."

Houshou nodded as the sentence trailed off.

 _Should have seen this coming._

"I promise I'll say something."

"Good. I trust you."

 _"Or should I say, 'we can't trust you."_ He blinked, startled, but John had already turned to leave the room and hadn't noticed. Together they made their way back to the lobby, ducking under the _noren_ to rejoin the group.

"Good," Naru said, spotting them. "You two are the last of us. First off, let me say that I was remiss in not setting up a dinner reservation for tonight, so tomorrow we shall be debriefing in a private room at the Cloudforest Cafe. Tonight, please find dinner on your own and give Lin the receipts for reimbursement. Second, we'll be splitting into a day and night group to see what the problem is here. All of those that just arrived, please take three or four hours to go through the fairgrounds and mark down any unnatural occurrences that you might experience."

Houshou looked over to see John grinning, a hand placed over his mouth to hide it from Naru.

"What are you laughing at?" he whispered, leaning closer.

"Earlier today," John replied softly, "Naru said he wasn't going to pay for dinners, and was only going to give a sen for lunch. I'm guessing that Mai tattled on him to Lin, since when he got here they had a private chat, and now this."

"Can't be cheap when paying your specialists," Houshou nodded. "Did you find anything unusual earlier?"

"For us? Nothing much. For this place? Naru wants the night crew to draw their own conclusions."

Houshou sighed.

"Yeah, Mai said the same thing. I just don't want any more surprises."

John patted him on the shoulder as they kept moving.

"Understandable. In this case though, I can promise you that we're not holding back on anything we might think is dangerous." There was a glance toward him. "We don't want anyone getting hurt after all. It's just to make sure the information is the same, since what we got was different from what Melly told SPR."

 _If I can't trust John, then who can I trust?_

"Your promises is good enough for me," said Houshou, clapping John on the back. "Do you four have any places that you wanted to check out specifically?"

Ayako gave Houshou a map of the park.

"I'm interested in the shrine of course, and in the Garden Maze. You guys?"

"I think you should check out the Picnic Area," added John, pointing out the area on the map. "In addition to what you already mentioned."

"I think Osamu should have a partner as well," said Lin, coming up behind Ayako. "The rest of us have at least one offensive capability, but all we can ward him with is defense. Osamu, do you have a preference of partner?"

"Bou-san!" He declared dramatically, throwing himself onto one knee and grabbing the monk's hand. "Willst thou allow me to be your partner?"

Ayako snickered, giving Houshou a look.

 _Well, she called it._

"Of course my fair Shonen!" he said back, clasping Osamu's hand in his. "We shall be the best pair."

"Then that's settled," Lin said. "We'll meet back at the hotel before two, then meet for lunch tomorrow."

Osamu grabbed one of the pamphlets for him and Houshou, then clipped one of his pens to the side.

"Where do you want to go?"

Houshou looked over at John.

"Let's check out the Picnic Area," a finger poked the area, then trailed along the outer edge. "We can wander around here, maybe hit the Lazer Tag section?"

 _I'm not sure if that was a hint for a place that needs further checking, or if that was John's way of saying the better food it there._

"Then I'll take the outer section, the Flower Tunnel and the children's play area."

 _Not a bad idea to check that out at night, I think we'd be called perverts during the day._

"Sounds like a plan," said Naru. "Message me if you need to, I'll be watching the data stream in from the places we've already set up the instruments."

The group gave their goodbyes and left, most of the day shift retiring to their rooms as Naru went off to meeting room that was their command center.

"Did you want to eat something first?" asked Osamu, walking next to Houhou. "They've got cotton candy, candy apples, even choco-bananas."

"How about some actual food kid? There's gotta be fried rice, hot dogs, or hamburgers. here After almost being squished on the road, I could do with a bite."

"Okay… but I'm holding you to cotton candy later on."

Houshou ruffled Osamu's hair.

"Where have you been hiding this sweet tooth of yours? I didn't think you had one."

Osamu ducked out from under the hand and struck a superhero pose.

"For the sake of my studying, I find that it's better to graze on nuts and seaweed than it is to eat chocolate snacks and cakes."

The monk regarded him for a few seconds.

"Translation: Mai keeps taking all the snacks you bring to your study sessions."

Osamu blushed.

 _Ha, called it!_

"Well, when you put it like that, yeah… by the time I let myself have one as a treat, about half of them are gone. When she's concentrating on something, she becomes a habitual snacker."

"You should get some of those wasabi chocolates. Betcha she won't take your chocolate again after biting into one of those!" The two of them laughed at that, drawing the attention of several older couples wandering around the park.

 _Strange… it's all couples. Aren't there any groups that hang out anymore?_

Houshou turned his thoughts to the area around them. There was a tantalizing scent of pizza, hot dogs, and even beer wafting around, which was overwhelmed by bells ringing and whistles going off.

"Is this the Picnic Area? I can smell food around here."

"We're close," said Osamu, looking over the map. His fingers darted out to hit two places, "but if you look here, we're in Games Alley, which is behind the Picnic Area."

A quick glance around showed him a shooting booth, a dart popper, and even a water gun racing game, along with a bored looking man selling stuffed animals in clear balloons.

 _I should have guessed._

"Hey Bou-san, I'll meet you at the Picnic Area!" Osamu said suddenly, turning around and giving a wave. "Get me something sweet!"

"Shonen!" Houshou called out, taking a step forward and watching as the kid seemed to disappear into the dark.

 _What the hell was that? Where did he go?_

He took another half-step forward, flinching as a victory bell went off behind him. The area was too noisy, and he could only think about how much hurt and pain could be covered up by the sounds. He rubbed clammy hands against his jeans, leaving a darkened trail cross the fabric.

"Naru's going to kill me if you come back injured," he groaned, rubbing his face.

 _Such dark thoughts already. Great._

Taking out his own map to study again, the monk sighed, absently rubbing his chest as he began heading left along the pathway. past the Shooting Gallery and the calls of the staff member trying to entice him into playing it.

 _It kinda feels weird that healing isn't the first thing on my mind anymore, he_ thought, the food smells getting stronger. _Taking two months to get rid of those casts, Dr. Darren dredging this stuff up again and again… but now I'm in the middle of people who are having a fun time. No darkness plaguing them. And I can't remember how that used to feel._

Houshou sat down at any empty table, a hand sinking into his hair to grip his scalp. The pressure stopped the advancement of those feelings, and with a bit of breathing room, he grabbed the prayer beads around his wrist, feeling each one.

"Namu Myouhou Renge Kyou," he whispered, touching another bead with each character's kanji that came to mind. Houshou could feel his heart beating, strengthening his body with each wave. His lungs drew in sweat breaths of air and left the smell of food to settle on his tongue. He tuned out the rest of the world happening around him, focusing instead on his body, on what he controlled. Then, when his body had settled down, his heartbeat lowered and his breathing steady, he repeated the phrase in his mind, allowing that peace to spread to his spirit.

"Bou-san?"

Houshou cracked open an eye to see Osamu standing before him, hands behind his back, looking at him with concern from behind his glasses.

 _What's he hiding?_

"Are you okay?" One hand came out to push up on the bridge of his glasses. "If you're not feeling up to doing this, you can go back to the hotel, I promise I won't tell. And I won't get into trouble either."

 _He's a good kid._

Houshou stretched, hearing several bones pop along the way.

"Nah, was just waiting for you. There are too many sweet things here for me to pick just one." A squeak sounded from the bench as he got up. "What are you hiding behind your back Shonen?"

Osamu's smile came back, bigger than it had been earlier that evening.

"I found something just for you, so you'll have to treasure it forever!"

"Your heart?" He asked, laughing.

"That's not something I would have found!" Osamu brought his hands to the front, presenting Houshou with… a balloon? "Look inside!"

While it was colored silver, the rubber was still stretched enough that he could see a small light brown teddy bear sitting in the middle of a batch of confetti.

"Is that…?"

Osamu actually cackled.

"The guy tried to keep me from buying it, it was supposed to be a rockin' bear-"

Houshou looked again, and sure enough, the bear was holding a little silver and red bass guitar.

"-but apparently they mixed up the costume with a monk. I was going to get you something funny, but I didn't know that I'd find something that was so… you!"

Houshou laughed, grabbing Osamu close for a hug.

"Thanks Shonen," he said, patting the younger man on the back. "This was a great gift, and it cheered me up a bit."

"I didn't think you needed cheering up," came the suspicious reply, backed by serious, dark grey eyes. "Truthfully, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Houshou said, feeling only a little twinge at lying. "Now, let's hit some of these food stands before we head out to the next place."

 _And I am fine right now._

"Come on, let's get some food. When we get back to the inn I'll figure out where this little guy will go."


	4. Spiritual Sharing (Ayako's POV)

Disclaimer: I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

Warnings: Later chapters will contain violence and injury descriptions.

 **Author's Note** : Thank you for your patience, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

* * *

 _Tuesday late evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

Ayako let out a sigh of pure happiness. The center of the maze, though admittedly not a hard one, held a gigantic oak tree, its leaves full and rustling with the warm summer winds.

"You are absolutely beautiful!" she declared, placing her hand on the rough bark of the trunk. "And to have grown so large, you must have been here for years!"

 **thank you** whispered a small voice. **i have been**

"Oh? I see you've got a spirit too." The priestess looked around, and since no one else was in the area with her, stretched her hands up to grab the limb right above her head. The next few minutes had her climbing the lower branches, moving inward to where she was fairly certain she couldn't be seen or heard if she remembered to keep her voice down. "Hello again. I hope you don't mind my being closer to you."

 ** _it has been a long time since anyone living has talked like this with me_**

"Is it okay? I can go back down as well." Ayako nestled back against the tree, enjoying the strong feeling of thickness at her shoulders. "And you don't have to talk back if you don't want. I know human lives aren't that interesting to many older spirits."

 ** _they are still interesting to me_**

"Then, do you mind if I talk about my life? I just..." she paused, trying to think of the words. "There are some things I just want to get off my chest. Air them out so I don't keep thinking about them over and over and over again."

 ** _if you talk i will listen_**

"That's very kind of you, thank you." Ayako patted the limb beneath her. "I've been very worried about my friends lately, especially one in particular. He's loud, obnoxious, and will play the most awful practical jokes. But..." she smiled, thinking back to when Houshou had gotten his cast off, then immediately returned with a thank you bouquet from the flower shop outside the hospital. "He's also one of the most caring people I know, helping out in whatever way he can, and staying strong in the face of adversity."

 ** _he sounds like a good guy_**

"Another problem with that though," Ayako added grimly. "is that he'll sacrifice himself for you. Literally." She shuddered as her mind flashed back to the cave, his broken body sprawled out in front of her.

 ** _is that a bad thing_**

"It might be in our line of work. We cleanse areas of bad spirits, and there will probably be other times when he'll try to do so."

There was silence from the tree spirit, but Ayako didn't pry. With years of having the ones near the hospital only telling her the times of patient deaths, having one talk to her as if they were a girlfriend was a rare treat.

 ** _does he make you happy_**

The priestess considered that question, tilting her head back so that she could see the stars through the tree's upper branches and leaves.

"He does, I think." She laughed. "He also makes me angry, annoyed, and exasperated sometimes, but he honestly does make me happy."

 ** _what is the problem then_**

"I..." she trailed off, wiping at her eyes. "Sorry. It's just that the last couple of months have been very... emotional."

 _Hellish honestly. Between all the injuries in the group, Houshou being killed, making sure that damn disgrace to doctors was sent to court..._

"He almost died. Did die, actually. And all my feelings came out and now we're going to start dating... but if he does die, because he's always trying to rescue people... am I setting myself up for a life of pain?"

 ** _there is no happiness without pain there is no pain without happiness_**

"I hate that phrase." Ayako frowned. "It's a simple platitude, said when people can't actually give any useful advice." There was a slight pause. "Not that that's what you're doing, of course. But for some people..."

 ** _would you be happy without him_**

"No." Ayako was sure of that.

 ** _would you be happy with him_**

"Until he dies."

 ** _everyone dies so that should not matter for happiness_**

Ayako tapped her cheek with the end of a nail. "Most people I know get very depressed when someone they love dies. And that feeling never goes away."

 ** _yes but if the person makes you happy then hopefully the depression should not last as long as the good memories do_**

The spirit grew quiet as Ayako thought about it.

"So... you're saying the happy memories of one year would be enough to mitigate a remaining lifetime of sadness?"

 ** _one year is a long time to know someone_**

"And yet not at all. Twelve months is an awfully short time to be with anyone."

 ** _there is a cafe worker who had a loved one die if you need to see it then look at them_**

"Who? There's got to be a lot of cafe workers here."

 ** _how did your friend come back to life_**

Ayako accepted the change of topic with a nod.

"He's a monk, and due to injuries coupled with a very strong will, he accidentally left his own body when protecting the rest of us from a very harmful spirit. After that though, he and our boss got into some trouble with a mad doctor, and to save our boss, he borrowed another person's body. That's the one that ended up dead."

 ** _so he did not inhabit his own body again_**

"No. He was lucky enough to have his body still breathing, even in the horrible condition it was in." Ayako wiped away the tears that were flowing freely and thickly. "I don't know... I don't think I could stand that again. I can't be that strong again."

 ** _no one ever knows if they are strong enough_**

"I guess." Ayako didn't know what to say to that.

 ** _it is just that no one wants to be that strong because it means they have to bear the pain_**

"That's true." Ayako let out a low laugh. "You're surprisingly very good at figuring out human emotions."

 ** _look around me_**

Peals of laughter rang out from the treetop.

"I didn't even think of that," giggle Ayako. "Most of the tree spirits I've met have been in remote areas, or shrines, where humans act in certain ways all the time. This place must have everything: happiness, anger, sadness, jealousy, a whole rainbow of emotions."

 ** _i do see a lot of people and their true selves_**

"The problem about emotions is that they're all tangled in knots too." Ayako found a leaf and began tracing it, enjoying the cool feeling against her skin. "I'm worried about him, yes, and I think I have every right to be worried, but maybe... that's not all that I'm worried about?"

 ** _it is okay to worry about yourself_**

"... maybe." She cleared her throat. "The other thing that's in the back of my mind is that I haven't... I haven't had a good history of dating people. If you knew me, you'd probably pretend to be shocked. But all those men in the past, they've had words for me. Loud. Harsh. Obnoxious. Annoying. Not someone they'd want to date again, marry, or even drink with."

 ** _you think he will behave in the same way_**

"I'm worried about that, yes. Dating, then him figuring out that he doesn't want anything to do with me, and tossing me away like an unwanted scarf. Like all the others did." A harsh sob sounded in the leaves. "It's stupid, I know it's stupid, but I can't help feeling that way."

 ** _you said he is already a friend_**

"Yes... we've known each other for several years now. Through work. And we didn't always believe in each other." _A little bit of a lie - I believed in him from the beginning, much earlier than he believed in me and my abilities._ Ayako used the back of her hands to wipe away the tears that were falling faster down her cheeks. "I'm sorry. We've just met, and I'm already bawling."

 ** _it is okay to cry_**

"Crying shows weakness."

 ** _crying shows that you have feelings that touch you deeply_**

"... that's a beautiful thing to say." Ayako sniffed and grabbed a handkerchief from her purse, making sure that she kept her balance on the limb. "Thank you. Just by listening, you've helped me out a lot. Is there anything that I can do for you? Water? Something delicious for the soil?"

 ** _i can not think of anything right now_**

"My friends and I have a case here, so we'll be around for a while. I'll make sure to come back every time I can."

 ** _can your friends hear me too_**

Red fingernails drummed on one of the branches nearby as Ayako thought about it.

"A few of them can't communicate with spirits, but a few others can, so it's possible. Mai and Masako are probably the two who have the best chances. Mai's natural barriers open when she's deeply asleep, so a lot of spirits will talk to her, or show her memories, in her dreams. Masako on the other hand, can meditate and talk to spirits, but I think it's more that she gets emotions from spirits, feelings that have intensified. And she can channel them of course. Sometimes she can hear them, and even speak with them, but it's rarer, or at least, she does it rarely. Did you want to communicate with them?"

 ** _That would be very strange for a tree spirit to want_**

A gust of wind whirled through the leaves to tug on Ayako's red hair.

 ** _no i wanted to know more about you and your friends as you are the first to talk to me_**

"You really have picked up on the human emotions around here, haven't you?" Ayako patted the branch she was sitting on gently. "I think that's a wonderful thing. Something I wouldn't mind doing if my spirit stuck around after."

 ** _are you feeling better about your worries_**

"... I am actually." She rubbed around her eyes, making a face when her fingertips came back black. "I'll have to go fix my make up in the bathroom so I don't look like a panda, but... yes. Thank you. I feel as if a heavy weight has been lifted from my shoulders, one that I didn't even know that I was carrying."

 ** _that means you were carrying it by yourself for too long_**

"Yeah..." Ayako sighed. "It comes with the territory. I'm the doctor of the group, and one of the oldest too."

 ** _time spent alive doesn't mean maturity_**

"Normally I'd agree with that, but with everything that happened in the cave. Being blinded and not being able to see my friends' injuries... to only hear as bones cracked and heads thudded against the floor." The smile on her face didn't feel like a happy one anymore, it felt more... feral. Fierce. "I've been the very model of maturity for the past few months." _And I could probably get a piercing for my bottom lip since it's been bitten enough._

 ** _maybe you should talk to him about your fears_**

"...maybe..." said Ayako, not making any promises.

 ** _you did not make a pinky promise_**

 _A 'pinky promise'? This spirit really has soaked up energy from the kids in the area!_

"It's easier to talk to you about this," she protested. "Talking to him..."

 ** _being friends means he should listen_**

"Should doesn't always mean will," Ayako muttered, looking away from the tree.

 ** _bring him here and talk to me_**

There was a sharp inhale at that, and a few seconds of coughing.

 _That's got to be a joke... right?!_

"Is that an order?" asked Ayako, rubbing her chest a little bit.

 ** _if you need it to be one_**

Silence reigned within the leafy canopy.

 _Could I bring Houshou here? It would be easy enough to do so physically, but could I act as the medium between the two? And why would the spirit be so willing to do that? Does it help them in some way?_

"Would bringing him here to talk help you too?"

 ** _it would be nice to meet another person you have been talking about but i would not say it helps with anything_**

"I can't promise that it will be soon then," said Ayako softly, "but if, when I can, I'll bring him here, and the three of us can talk."

 ** _or you could be like those other teenage couples who kiss and make out_**

Ayako laughed so hard she almost fell out of the tree.

It took her at least a minute to stop laughing and gasping for air, with another ten or so minutes to climb down the tree so that she didn't tumble to the ground. After saying goodbye to the tree spirit, and making a pinky promise to come back later at least, with or without Houshou, Ayako took the time to find a pen in her purse. Leaning close to the fairy lights on the maze walls allowed enough light to jot down a few notes, and to cross out the maze itself as a likely haunted area. The tree in the middle of it was circled three times.

"Okay," she said aloud, putting the pen back into her purse. "Where to next...?"

 _Besides the toilet of course. I probably have black rivers running down my face._

The Haunted House caught her interest, but there was also a small shrine on the park grounds.

 _I should check to see if there are any other spirits there too. Or at least make sure that I have an area I can defend ourselves in it if needed._

Deciding on the shrine, she looked for the quickest route, her finger following it as it left the area, took her past the public toilets, and put her right at the edge of the stairs leading up. Exiting wasn't as bad as trying to find her way through the maze earlier; apparently the tree was the goal since there were signs, arrows, that showed which direction to take.

"Very much appreciated," she said aloud, breaking the relative silence surrounding her. There were some noises of course, but all of them were off in the distance, so it remained relatively peaceful. Ducking into the nearest bathrooms, Ayako looked into the mirror, rolling her eyes when she saw how much her "no run mascara" had trickled down her face.

"Not quite a panda, but certainly a raccoon," she muttered to herself, fishing her lipstick, mascara, and some makeup wipes out of her purse. She wiped off what had smeared, and touched up the areas until she was satisfied with her reflection. Then she began to stroll down the deserted pathway, the sounds coming from attractions, which had already been quiet, now falling away to the louder noises of crickets and other chirping bugs.

 _This is starting to be a little creepy,_ she thought to herself, making sure to stick close to any light source she could find. Which were the fairy lights and an ornate iron pole every few meters. _Are the walkways always this dark? And with how full the parking lot was, I assumed that the park would be full too, not this empty._

A rustle sounded nearby, startling her. Ayako froze, but it didn't happen again.

 _It's fine, just something in the bushes._

Still, she sped up, the clacking of her low heels quickening.

 _Maybe I should have taken Osamu? Or teamed up with Lin?_

"Maybe," she acknowledged aloud, glancing around her. "On the other hand..." She fished out her cell phone and raised it as if she was speaking to someone.

 _I don't want to actually call them unless it's an emergency, but this should put off anyone who might be following me._

She continued walking like that until the itchy feeling between her shoulder blades faded away when she reached the entrance to the shrine, which was a lacquered red torii gate.

 _Not sure if I was being followed or not, but at least I don't feel so exposed now._

Giving the environment around her another suspicious look, Ayako began to climb the stairs, taking the time to marvel at the fox statues that progressed up the steps with her on both sides, and then looking around her in disbelief at the top.

"... I can't believe, with all of those stone statues, that this pace is fake!" she snapped at the area in front of her. Sure, it was a shrine, but it was a shrine for children to play with. The sign next to the fox priestess thanked the children for coming to help rid the shrine of the evil demons that were plaguing it, asking them to go around the park with special flashlights to find all of the bad spirits.

"Ugh. Come on Ayako, this is a theme park, were you really expecting something different? Really?

 _With all the greenery in this place, the tree elder in the middle of the maze, and that fact that those stone statues on the steps are real enough, I certainly wasn't expecting it to be fake._

"Hopefully we're not going to need my help on this case," she muttered snatching her pen and x-ing the map hard enough to tear the paper. "Though if I ask politely, maybe the maze spirit will help me?"

A high-pitched giggle sounded in the night; Ayako's head whipped up, her eyes wide as she looked around.

"Who's there?"

Nothing. Just the fake statues, the "priestess," and herself.

 _Was I really being followed earlier?_

"I heard you - who's there!?"

She took a step to the right, closer to the anthropomorphic fox, and the giggle came again... with friends.

 _Is this one of the haunted areas?_

"Thank you-"

Ayako shrieked, flailing as she jumped.

"-for helping me!" finished the shrine priestess. "If those evil demons come back, please help me again!"

She stumbled over to the steps and sat down, breathing deeply, on the first one, purse thudding onto the ground.

 _fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck_

"Was not-"

 _In. Out_.

"...Expecting that."

 _In. Out. Good, one more time._

"I really hope nobody heard me," she said, shaking her head.

 _Either they'd call the cops or some psychiatrists to take me in._

She sighed, the sound loud since the game hadn't been activated again.

 _Why is it on this late at night anyhow? Are there any little kids around to play it?_

The hair on her neck began to tingle, standing on edge.

 _No.. it should be shut off by now... it's almost ten..._

Ayako stood up, feeling exposed and vulnerable. As if someone was watching her from the darkness, waiting for a chance.

 _No. This is not the time to start imagining things Aya._

But the clear, childish laughter she heard wasn't in her mind; it dribbled down the steps, sounding creepier the further away it traveled. The fairy lights in the bushes blinked, flashing on and off at her, and there was a grinding sound behind her left side.

"I'm not looking," she said aloud, defiantly "I don't care what you're trying to do to scare me, I'm not going to give you the satisfaction."

"What?"

Ayako spun around at the human voice, a flush building up as she realized the tall Japanese man in front of her was no ghost. On the plus side, the lights had stopped blinking and there were no more sounds of metal clawing into stone.

"Um, sorry," she stammered, stooping down to grab her purse. She clutched it, hearing the material creak in her hands. "The shrine priestess started talking, and then the noises just sounded creepy up here, so, um..."

"What are you on about?" He glanced at the fake shrine on their left. "This stuff's been off since nine at the latest, nothing's going to be moving or talking."

 _Of course not._

"I guess I was imagining things then," Ayako said, letting out a little nervous laugh. She took a step backwards, then jerked to a halt as the guy grabbed her wrist. "Hey! Let go!"

"Careful!" he warned her. "You're going to fall down the stairs if you jerk like that again."

 _I can't tell if that's a threat or if he actually was trying to help me._

Ayako went to move, but he didn't budge.

"Let go!"

He did so, and she rubbed the red spots on her wrist, looking up at him. Taller than Houshou and more around Lin's height, his face seemed permanently set in a scowl, and there were some scars across his cheeks.

 _Those look like knife wounds. And he's really strong_ Ayako realized with a shiver of fear. _He could overpower me and I wouldn't be able to do anything except scream._

"Sorry," he apologized, giving a slight bow. "I only grabbed so hard because I thought you were going to take a tumble. Wouldn't be the first time someone's died here." He let out a dry chuckle as he looked to the stairs.

 _Someone died here? Who?_

"What are you doing out here?" she asked, looking around them.

 _Nobody else is here - just him and me. I really don't like this._

"What about you?" he countered. "I work here at least."

"Here, as in this shrine?"

 _I thought it was just a game?_

"No, I work at the cafe. I just like to come here to relax."

An image of the map came to mind, showing her that the Cloudforest Cafe was over by the Ferris Wheel, which could only be seen by the faint lights that shimmered through the treetops.

 _That's... why is he here? That's pretty far away..._

"If you work in the cafe, why are you here? Isn't this across the theme park for you?"

His eyes narrowed in the colorful lights.

"So? Why are you, an adult, here by yourself in the kid's section?" He took a step forward; she mimicked him by taking exactly one back. "Waiting for a lover?"

"What?"

"It's not unheard of," he continued, gaining by another step. She took another as well. "Couples get off thinking they can make out, or even have sex in the closed sections. I've had to throw a few out myself."

"I'm not waiting here for anybody!" Ayako snapped, her face heating up with embarrassment.

 _... shit! I shouldn't have told him that!_

"... why are you here then?" he asked again, stopping with a puzzled look on his face.

"I came to visit the shrine, I didn't expect it to be fake!"

"You... " he began to laugh, holding his stomach. "You honestly thought..?"

Ayako didn't wait for him to finish his sentence. She spun and sprinted, letting his laughter follow her all the way back to where people gathered in the bright lights, screaming as they rode the rides. She slowed down, trying to regain control of her breathing. Breathing in the smell of sugar to coat what had been a frightening moment.

 _Not sure which one was creepier - the sound of kids' laughter with no one around me, or some huge guy grabbing my wrist._

Here though, surrounded by men and women of all ages, she was able to calm down.

"Okay, back to work, and you'll hopefully never see that guy again." She shivered. "Ugh. I hate creeps."

The red marker circled the shrine and put a few notes about disembodied children's voices.

"I didn't feel if the temperature dropped, but it could be what he said too - some couple looking for private time." Her nose wrinkled at the thought. "Isn't it more comfortable in a room?"

"Isn't what more comfortable in a room?" asked a well-known voice behind her. She turned, smiling to see Osamu standing with an arm in Houshou's, the older man holding a balloon.

"Long story, don't ask," sighed Ayako, slipping the map and marker back into her purse.

 _I'll bring it up tomorrow at the meeting, but I would rather not right now._

"You okay?" Houshou had apparently taken in her disheveled appearance, and judging by the dip in his eyebrows, was worried. She gave him a wan smile.

 _Maybe I should mention what happened?_

"I am now. It was a little creepy earlier, but I've got a place for the rest of us to check out. How are you two doing?" she asked, deflecting the question onto them.

"We checked out the Shooting Gallery, the Picnic Area, and we've been by a few of the attractions," said Osamu, "but none of our places seem haunted."

 _Lucky you._

"And Shonen found a rock-monk bear," laughed Houshou, holding up the balloon. The small smile on his face grew, and his eyes crinkled at the edges in happiness.

 _... I haven't seen him this carefree in a while._ Ayako swallowed the lingering fear from earlier and grinned. _He doesn't need to know about Creepy Guy. I got away, and I'll never see him again._

"It's cute!" She exclaimed, looking at the fuzzy toy in the middle of the balloon.

 _It fits him to a T as well._

"We were going to talk the long way back to the hotel-" began Osamu.

"-along all the dark paths so neither you nor Lin needs to walk them by yourselves," finished Houshou. "Are you sure you're okay Ayako? You're looking a little spooked. I know John said there's nothing to be worried about, but if you want to walk back with us...?" The question trailed off as he offered it.

 _I'm tempted... very very tempted..._

"No, but thanks," said Ayako, waving a hand. "I wanted to hit one more place, then call it a night."

"If you're sure."

 _How does he make a question sound like a statement?_

"I am. But," she offered, "if you're interested, I'll tell you what I found out when I get back."

She smiled as he nodded.

"Sure thing; I'll wait for you in the lobby. Have you seen Lin around? We've only seen you."

"He said he was going to the House of Mirrors, right?"

"That'll be closed," Osamu said, breaking back into the conversation. "All of the exhibits that use a building close at nine, along with the children's play areas, but everything else, like the rides and the open-air places and the food stalls, those stay open until midnight."

"And then the whole park closes," finished Ayako, looking around her at the crowd.

"It's a little after ten-thirty," Houshou said, looking at his phone.

 _I know we've been out for a bit, but isn't ten-thirty too earlier to be heading back to the hotel?_

"Which is why we're going to take the long route back to the hotel," explained Osamu. "See if any ghosts are haunting the pathways."

"I guess I'll head off too then," said Ayako, "Better than waiting around here for the night to grow creepier. Have either of you heard from Lin?"

Osamu and Houshou shook their heads.

"Nothing yet... should that be something to worry about?" asked Houshou, a small crease appeared between his eyes.

 _He's probably thinking something's happened to Lin. I shouldn't have mentioned anything._

"Not at all," said a smooth voice from behind them. "If you needed to check on me, you could have LINEd me, but as you can see, I had the luck to find everyone here."

Ayako grinned, turning to see Lin entering the area.

 _I feel much better knowing these guys are around. Hmm... this might not be such a bad case. We're finally back up to strength, and it'll be good to ease Houshou back into work with something small._

"Good to know," said Houshou, Ayako watching his shoulders relax. "We'll head down the dark, creepy path then, and meet up with you all at the hotel."

"Sounds like a plan." Lin looked to Ayako. "The areas I've been given to look over are all closed. Would you mind if I joined you for anything you have left?"

 _Absolutely not! You can scare away the creeps! And maybe we can talk a little bit about Naru, Houshou, and how to help them keep their promises._


	5. I Promise I'm Fine (Bou's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : The next chapter will have violence and injury descriptions and it will continue from there (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Please enjoy!

* * *

 _Tuesday later in the evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

The walk back to the hotel was eating up a lot more time than Bou-san thought it would.

 _Sure, we told Lin and Ayako that we were taking the long way, but I feel we've been looping, and that for every step we take forward we're only going backward._

His ankle was complaining too, but he didn't want to admit he might have overdone it. Band practice had been fine for building his body and his arms back up, but he was beginning to see how little it had done for his legs and feet. Houshou shuffled, trying to find a gait that didn't hurt. After a few tries, he limited his way of walking so that only a little bit of his right foot stayed on the ground, and more of his left foot took on the work of supporting the rest of him.

 _Should be good enough to get us back, and hopefully a small enough change that Osamu won't notice._

"-shou?"

Bou-san jerked, then gave his companion a sheepish smile.

"Sorry. Miles away."

"Then... what's on your mind?" asked Osamu, leaving Houshou's side and turning to walk backward. He frowned. "Wait. You're limping."

 _Not really..._

"You say 'limping,' I say more... walking in a way that feels better." He looked away from the glare the kid sent his way.

 _I'm not lying._

"You promised. In front of all of us, you promised Naru you'd say something if you were hurting," Osamu said, stopping. Bou-san felt the balloon ribbon on his wrist tug a little bit at the lack of motion.

"I know," sighed Houshou, pushing some of his hair out of his eyes. "I know. My ankle just started hurting though, I swear."

"Then say something so we can take a small break," said Osamu, spinning around. "Look! There's a bench over there, and even better, it's completely free of trash!"

The monk had to chuckle at that. There were employees going around and picking up the trash, but since most of the bins were located near the food stalls, the benches and entrances to the still open attractions had been gathering lots of PET bottles, bags, and even paper plates.

 _Though enough time has passed since the sarin attacks that the stations have been putting out a few more bins, and hopefully they will here as well._

"Come on, we'll go sit for a few minutes. See if that helps you out more than limping along does." Osamu led the way and Houshou followed, sitting down on the wooden seat with a sigh of relief. "Can't do anything for you if you keep quiet though."

"I know. Sorry."

The two of them sat there, listening to the noises around them, cicada screams mingling with laughter. Osamu moving around, either jiggling his leg or tapping his arm.

"...do I need to ask if anything else is hurting?" asked Osamu, pushing up his glasses and leveling a Godzilla-sized stare.

 _Damn, the kid could give Ayako lessons on glaring when there's an injury!_

"Nothing at all," protested Houshou, holding up his hands. "Just the ankle; I guess it hasn't really liked how large this place is."

 _And maybe... I just... wanted to pretend for a little bit that everything was fine._

"Didn't even think of that earlier," mumbled Osamu, sighing. "Be careful, would you?"

"Sorry _shonen_ ," Houshou teased, rubbing his friend's head. "Like I promised Naru, if I'm hurt enough I'll step to the side."

Osamu raised an eyebrow.

"That's not what I heard." The gesture showed he wasn't amused by the answer. "Aren't you supposed to say something when you're hurt, and not only when you're 'hurt enough'?"

 _With stretching my muscles to the limits here, that'll be almost the entire day, so no thank you._

"What's the definition of hurt being used?" asked Houshou, folding his arms behind him and looking up at the night sky. The balloon, tied around his wrist, bobbled a bit into view but then lifted itself out of sight again. "Right here, right now, my ankle is annoyed with me. It's nothing I need to go to a hospital for, and if I talked to Ayako about it, she'd tell me to ice it and elevate it, which was what I was planning on doing tonight anyhow." He paused, then continued. "I'm not going to run to Naru every time something twinges wrong or feels off."

 _And that should be enough. The agreement was telling him when I'm hurt enough to screw things up for others, not when I have a little owie._

The kid didn't say anything to that. He continued to lean forward slightly on his knees, shoulders hunched as he stared at the pathway in front of them.

"Okay _shonen_ ," sighed Bou-san, bumping him with a shoulder. "What's on your mind? I doubt it's me and my ankle."

"Thinking," came the distracted remark. "I... it's hard. Harder than I thought it would be."

"What's hard?" Now the monk's full attention was on Osamu.

 _Come on kid, open up a little. Let me see what thoughts your hamster is wheeling._

Osamu took off his glasses, unearthed a cleaning cloth from out of his back pocket, and started on the left lens.

"You. Being injured. Where I can see it at any rate. It reminds me..." He took a deep breath, then let it out in one long rush. "Reminds me of that damn doctor."

 _Ah. Well, that's better than me thinking you were going to accuse me of lying._

"Like I said before, it's fine. I don't mind." Houshou shrugged, stretching his leg out a little and flexing his ankle; the two of them winced at the loud cracking sound. "We fought a spirit and we won. Same as with the zombies, and I don't think the scar on my back bothers you."

"It doesn't..." Osamu shrugged, then moved to the right lens. "Just..."

"But you can't see it, can you? As you said about this, 'it reminds you'," said Houshou, keeping his voice low. "Of what happened, what could have happened, what you fear can happen in the future. And that's okay. It reminds me too."

 _That I need to be stronger and faster, when this shit happens again._

"I was thinking about what you said. That angry spirits are easier to deal with than angry people."

Houshou nodded, biting his tongue so that Yasuhara would continue to speak.

"My final conclusion is that I don't think either of them is easy to deal with. They're both hard, in different ways, and they both grate on the soul."

"And that's perfectly valid." Bou-san smiled at Osamu's confused face. It might have been the lack of glasses, but he looked as if there was snow settling on the bottom of the ocean and his brain was frantically trying to figure out how physics would allow for that. The monk snorted. "We don't have to agree on this, and it's probably better if we don't. I find it easier because I focus on spirits not being human, and you feel that both final actions reproduce the same results, no matter who does them, and therefore they're both hard to deal with. That's okay."

 _And it probably says that I've seen too many horror movies if I think most spirits can't help acting non-human. Most of the spirits we meet actually were human at some point._

Osamu was staring at him now, his mouth hanging a little open, so Houshou continued.

"The trick is to understand how you react so you can face the situation if it comes up again." Bou-san snorted. "I don't think it'll be on this case for me, kinda hard to see a human component with the complaints being about pinches and touches in the middle of nowhere. But the case after this, or the one after that, might have some humans to deal with, so I'll have to figure out what happens then."

"That... makes a lot of sense." Osamu looked up at Houshou, dark grey eyes shining with warmth as he put his glasses back on. "Thank you, for listening and understanding. I didn't want to trouble you about it though, I figured you had enough to deal with-"

"Stop that."

 _Gonna nip that feeling in the bud._

"No matter what Osamu, you can always come talk to me about anything that's bothering you." Houshou tried to make sure his voice was strong. Firm. The voice of someone who could listen and help.

 _And if I can give you a little relief and point you in the right direction, that makes me happy._

"I'll need to have a strategy for this case, and all the others in the future, but I can handle that, I think. All I have to do is imagine the worst-case scenarios. What if my information's wrong? What if I lose facts and information again? What if someone gets hurt because I don't have-?" He stopped when Houshou put a hand on the kid's shoulder.

 _So it's not really being up against a person or ghost you're worried, it's about you being helpless in another situation like Kiryu!_

"Do your best, and that's all anyone, even yourself, can ask of you." Houshou gave him a squeeze, then used him to stand up. Gingerly he took a few steps.

 _At least my ankle's not hurting as much anymore._

"Let's head back to the hotel and get some sleep. Don't know about you, but I think I'm done for the night."

Osamu stood up, nodding.

"I'll hand in our report to Naru. That way you can get some sleep and I can talk to him about some ideas I have."

* * *

 _Wednesday 2:30AM - The Grove (Hotel)_

* * *

Cold. Freezing cold. Hard needles of ice bit into him, leaving trails in his blood that eventually warmed as they ran down his arms. It was summer. How was he this cold again? The numbness from his arms radiated inward, hunting his bones. Houshou opened his mouth to cry out, but the words were caught fast as he tasted blood on the stale air. He choked.

 _Who?!_

All around him were dark, dismal cave walls.

 _Of course I'm back here._ He turned, looking for the exit, for the purple shimmering force field that had trapped him. _I never left. I dreamed it._ The ground nipped at his feet with sharp teeth, and the silence was broken by a shout, twisting into multiple cries of horror, of pain, echoing off the walls to dig into his heart.

"Ayako!" Nothing of her was nearby, no red, no sass, none of that quiet thoughtfulness she occasionally showed. Houshou felt the beating of his heart speed up, sweat beading on his upper lip.

 _That's good, right? It's good Ayako's not here, it's good, it's fine._

"John!" He called out, trying again. The same result, unfortunately. No blonde hair popped up, no Osaka accent said hello, no smiles happened warmed people down to the bottom of their very soul. Nothing.

 _Okay... think Houshou, think. Ayako's not here and neither is John. Just you._

 **They are beyond you. They are mine. Now. And forever. You couldn't save them.**

 _No... not this again. Please, not this again..._

Hosushou shut his eyes, digging the heels of his palms into them.

 _This isn't real. They were both there with me, almost all the time, and... and the spirit didn't sound like that, remember? Think! Think about what Dr. Darren told you! This is a dream, this is your dream. You're in control. Not the nightmares._

"It's just a dream, just a dream..." he muttered under his breath, trying to convince himself. Puffs of frosty air told his eyes otherwise. The screams convinced his ears. He didn't need the pain speaking to his body, but that was a dull throb at the back of his frantic brain.

 **If this is a dream could I do this?**

Numbness from the cold spread out, concentrating in one area. Houshou gasped as his arm just... just stopped working. He could see it. He could jiggle it from his shoulder, he could touch it. And everything from the elbow down was gone. Dead.

 _FUCK!_

"FUCK!" Bou-san sprang upright from where he was sleeping, heaving, gasping, straining against the sheets wrapped tight around his body.

 _Nightmare, just a nightmare, calm down before the others hear you!_

He squinted in the darkness, seeing the outline of John's body, then checking on the lump of blankets and pillows that was Osamu, as untidy in sleep as he was the opposite awake.

 _Good... good, they're still sleeping. They didn't hear me._

"Houshou?" The monk started, but relaxed.

 _I know that tone._

John's voice was at the stage of sleep-wake, the very edge where if nothing happened he would go back to sleep, but if someone needed him, he was willing, and able, to wake up. Bou-san pushed his hair away from his face, frowning at how lank it was.

"I'm fine... go on back to sleep."

Having given that slight, half-muttered offer to listen, John finally nodded off again, pulling his blanket over him and wriggling down into the warmth. Still nothing from Osamu's side, but that wasn't surprising.

 _Haven't experienced an earthquake yet that can wake him._

Houshou let out a trembling sigh, quickly followed by another as he tried to force his heartbeat into something approaching normal. Sweat soaked his boxers, and when he poked his arm there was a lingering sense of numbness.

 _Just a dream brain. That spirit's dead and gone._

"Try to figure out why your arm's numb," he told himself, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. Had the sheets cut off circulation? Had he slept on it wrong? A quick look around found the culprit; the rock-monk bear Osamu had gotten him earlier. "You're a heavy little thing, aren't you?" the monk muttered, picking up the toy and hefting it in his hand. "Thought they made teddy bears light for little kids to carry everywhere. You're more like a medicine ball."

 _Maybe a weight to keep the helium-filled balloon down. Would be a disaster if a kid let it go and the bear floated away._

But something needed to be done now. And the only way he could lighten the load a little bit would be to find some scissors, cut the stitches on the back, and take some of whatever was inside out. Ayako had some with her, he was sure.

 _And if I go to the women's room, I'll probably wake them all up. Which would require a better explanation than bear surgery at..._

"Ugh. Two forty-seven?" He sighed. Great. Just a little bit before three in the morning.

Houshou pulled himself to his feet, groaning softly at the amount of effort it required. The sweat-soaked covers fell back down in a pile on the bed.

"I'm awake enough anyhow," he consoled himself. "And if I do this now, then they don't have to know I had another nightmare."

 _A nightmare. That'll be even more evidence to convince Naru that I'm not healed enough yet._

He picked up the bear and clutched it tight, tiptoeing across the floor to make sure he didn't hit the bed Osamu was sleeping on, nor the cot that John had claimed as his bed. He was halfway to the closet when something hooked itself around his ankle. Houshou gulped down the scream welling up inside him, then glanced down.

"John's backpack," he grumbled, shaking his foot to remove the offending strap. He allowed himself a sigh of relief as he made it across the room. Both his roomies were still asleep, John let out a slight whistle as Osamu grunted. The monk moved into the hallway, turning on the light to the bathroom. He made himself look at every shadow, pinning them to the wall and daring them to move.

"This is probably the stupidest thing I've done in a while," he whispered to the bear, giving it a look. Button eyes winked moonlight back at him. "Okay, maybe not stupidest."

 _No, that would be slitting your wrists open. Leaving Ayako and John to deal with a hungry, vengeful spirit._

Houshou stopped, the carpet and door shifting inch by inch into a rock floor with damp walls.

 _No! I'm not there any longer!_ He shook his head to get rid of the image. It didn't work right away, and he relived the feeling of blood puddling around his body, warm and sticky to the touch as his skin chilled and he lost sensation in his hands. He raised his left one, willing it to stop trembling.

"Silliest, then," he allowed. He grabbed the yukata provided by the hotel and put it on, cinching the sash tight.

 _A grown man with a teddy bear, looking to fix it so it doesn't give him bad dreams. Maybe I should just go back to sleep..._

But then there would be Osamu's face if the bear was placed to the side, upset that his gift had been turned away, or even worse, had induced the nightmares swallowing the monk whole again.

 _I can't hurt him like that. If I fix it, then I can still use it, and that'll make Shonen happy._

Houshou took a heavy step forward, then another. A few meters later he was standing in the well-lit lobby, alone except for the red-head reading at the desk.

 _At least there's no one else to see me here._

"Hey Rose," he called out, waving with his free hand.

She raised her head, then beamed at him, putting a bookmark down on the open page.

"Hello there!" she called out, motioning for him to come closer. "What can I do for you?" Her gaze landed on the bear he was holding in his other hand. "And this little guy? He's cute!"

"How did-"

"I know you needed my help with something?" She pushed her glasses up and tapped the side of her nose, still smiling. "You're in the lobby after three in the morning; of course you want something!"

 _I guess she's seen weirder things._

"It's going to sound a little strange," Houshou began, but she interrupted with a waving finger.

"Not at all!" Rose made a face, wrinkling her nose and sticking out her tongue. "Trust me, there have been plenty of other requests that have been much weirder." Rose paused. "Although, maybe I should listen to what you need first before assuming that."

Houshou laughed, a lot of the tension he'd felt since he'd been scared awake breaking up, leaving him a bit lighter.

"This little guy is a bit too heavy for me. I was wondering if you had a pair of scissors around, so I could take out whatever they used in place of stuffing. It kinda feels like bricks."

He handed the bear over, and Rose took it, frowning and humming under her breath.

"Wow... he is pretty heavy. I don't remember the bears being like this. But, give me a few minutes!" she said, winking at Houshou. "The two of us will be back in no time!"

She, and the little rock-monk bear, disappeared into the back room and left him alone. Houshou started to pace around the room, the conversation from earlier coming back to him.

 _"So, what did you and Osamu get up to today?" Ayako was sitting next to him, and he could feel the warmth of her body as she pressed in closer. "Besides ghost hunting."_

 _"Talked a lot." He laughed as she punched him in the shoulder. "What? You said other than ghost stuff!"_

 _"Okay then." She arched an eyebrow. "About what? I doubt it was me, so... his study habits?"_

 _Houshou grimaced, realizing that telling the truth was going to bring the mood down._

 _"We talked about Kiryu actually." He looked down at the floor, trying to read her silence. "I'd said something to Osamu when I was first home and healing, and he wanted to know more."_

 _"I wouldn't mind knowing more either," said Ayako, bumping his leg gently. He looked up into that red smile and grinned back for a few seconds._

 _"Um... it was about how I would have done even worse dealing with a human." Houshou shrugged. "There's something in me that doesn't mind such ruthlessness from a spirit, or even a creature, but from another human? It's sickening. A disease."_

 _Ayako nodded._

 _"I know what you mean. I see things as a doctor that are... horrible. And I know for a fact that those actions came from humans."_

 _"Doesn't it bother you?" Houshou asked softly. "Doesn't it set a fire deep in your soul, one so hot and high you think will engulf you?"_

 _Ayako shook her head._

 _"I can't let it. I'm there to heal, not to demand justice, or wreak havoc. That's what I have to do first when a neglected child comes to my hospital, when an abused wife gathers her courage to see us. After they heal, that's when I can give photos and documents to the police, but by then I'm usually trying to help the next person that's come through the doors."_

 _Houshou rested his chin on top of her head._

 _"I wish I had your strength."_

 _"You don't need mine," she said, moving to look up at him. "You have a strength all your own."_

Houshou blinked, coming back to himself and realizing that he'd been standing in front of a poster for the last... how was it four already!?

 _Was I really standing there for almost an hour?_ He looked around the empty lobby.

"Rose?"

 _Is she okay?_

He walked over to the lobby, his hand stretching out to ring the bell, but then the back door opened up and a grinning Rose emerging holding the teddy bear.

"I'm so sorry I took so long!" she apologized, giving him back the bear. The stitching in the back was red now, looking almost like the stuffed animal was oozing blood. "I got all the sand out, but then I had to hunt down some real stuffing and sew him up!

 _That was really kind of her._

"Thank you," said Houshou, giving the bear a quick squeeze with his right arm. "That feels much better."

 _Perfect. This shouldn't give me any problems at all._

"You should get back to bed," she said, eyes sparkling. "I'd join you, but I'm still on duty."

Houshou froze.

"Um..."

 _Did she really just say she'd join me... in bed...?_

Rose cocked her head at him, then suddenly flushed a bright red, covering her face with freckled hands.

"No! OhmygodI'msosorryIdidn'tmeanitlikethat!" she squeaked, words shot rapid-fire, covering her face with her hands. "I just... I just meant I was tired! That's all!"

He began to chuckle at that, and for a moment it seemed as if her ears became redder.

"I'll just leave now," he said, walking back to the corridor going to his room. "Have a good night!"

"Please don't tell Mrs. Kawai!"

"I won't," he promised, waving goodbye and backing into the corner. "If she gets any redder, she might turn into a tomato," he told the bear. Its head jiggled, so he took it as a confirming nod.

 _I should give it a name. Stop calling it 'bear.'_ Houshou reached his room, inching the handle down and the door creaked slowly open. John and Osamu didn't stir, not even with a shaft of light fell across their faces.

 _Good to know they didn't wake up and miss me_ he thought, putting the yukata back into the closest, then stepping over their sleeping forms to get back to his futon. Yawning hard enough to crack his jaw, he settling back down into the blankets, and surprisingly, drifted off to sleep rather quickly.

* * *

Wednesday late morning - The Grove (Hotel)

* * *

"Hey, Houshou?"

Houshou blinked, waking up to a soft voice calling his name. The curtains were open, sunlight had filled the room, and there was the smell of coffee from the hot water heater in the room.

 _John. Too early to be Osamu._

"John? What's wrong?"

"Nothing," said the priest, giving him a smile. He came over to sit on the edge of Houshou's bed, and it dipped a little. "But, if you want to get ready for lunch, then you'll need to get up. Also, I have a question about last night."

 _Shit. Does he remember my nightmare?_

Houshou yawned, buying a bit a time so that if he needed to lie, he could. As he covered his mouth, his other hand grabbed empty air trying to find the bear.

 _Where did it go? I didn't think I tossed and turned that badly after I got back to sleep?_ He found it on the other side of the room. _Huh_. _How'd it get all the way over there? Did I throw it?_

"Nothing's wrong," John said, poking his head out from pulling on a light-fabric, long-sleeved shirt. "My bag wasn't where I left it, so I wondered if you'd moved it?"

Houshou looked over to where the backpack was, leaning against the wall next to the bathroom.

 _He's right, wasn't it closer to the doorway? Crap, guess I moved it when it hooked me._

He shook his head.

"Sorry John. Didn't realize I'd dragged it so far." He sat up and stretched, pushing and pulling on his elbows behind his head just like the therapist had shown him. "I know it roped my ankle some time this morning."

 _Just don't ask me why I was up, or what that time actually was._

The monk got off the bed, groaning a little as he leaned down to his open luggage. A new shirt and a pair of jeans later, he was ready to go, even if still a little stiff from yesterday.

 _So much for sneaking out perfectly._

John shrugged and made a non-committal noise.

"Nothing's missing, so I don't think it's anything to worry about." The priest looked over at Osamu and hid a small smiled behind his hand. "Should we leave him here? He looks comfy."

Houshou watched as Osamu's mouth kept dropping, his snores bouncing off of the walls around them.

"You mean we'll set an alarm so we don't have to be grumped at the entire time he's waking up." John nodded as Houshou fiddled with the hotel clock's settings. "Right. Alarm in ten, and repeating every five minutes until he actually turns it off. Then there's one more, for that final wake up call." They snickered as they snuck out, shutting the door quietly behind them. John patted his pants pocket, making sure he knew where his card was, and then they were walking down the hallway.

"What time did you two get back?" The blonde asked. "I think I was already asleep by then."

Houshou nodded.

"I was back a little before midnight, then chatted with Ayako for a bit. Shonen stayed out later talking with Naru, so I don't know what time he managed to crawl into bed. Thanks for taking the cot by the way."

"As the shortest person in the room, my pleasure." John beamed. "How are you feeling by the way? Good night's sleep?"

 _He knows._

Houshou stopped and gave John a look.

 _Or he's fishing. Time to call his bluff._

"If you're looking to uncover any problems I've kept hidden, that was a little too obvious."

The blonde blushed, looking out of the window.

"Yeah, it kind of was, wasn't it? I'm not really the best at being subtle sometimes."

 _Like a brick most of the time... but with our group, we need it more often than not. And it makes player you in poker much easier._

"I do want to know though," he continued. "Are you doing okay? Any problems since we took on the case?"

"Nothing," said Houshou, forcing a smile.

 _The nightmares are nothing new, and I can control myself most of the time when I panic, so I'm fine._

John's smile got bigger.

"Glad to hear it! I was a bit worried about you, to be honest. And I know everyone else is too."

The monk didn't have anything to say to that.

 _I mean, what_ ** _should_** _I say? Yay, I think my friends are keeping a suicide watch on me?_ Houshou sighed, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. _Come on, you know that's not true. They have good reason to be worried._

"Bou-san? Do you have a headache?" Houshou could hear the hidden concern under those words though. The unasked "you just said you were okay, are you sure?" floated in the air between them.

He opened his eyes and jumped back, hitting the wall with his shoulders. It wasn't that John was scary. At five five it certainly wasn't that. It was that when Houshou had closed his eyes in the first place, the priest had been on the other side of the hall and then suddenly he'd been almost a centimeter away.

 _Like that damn doll Kana had._

"Sorry John. Just didn't realize how close you'd gotten!" Houhsho laughed nervously, trying to catch his breath. "Kinda jumpy."

His friend nodded.

 _And he's probably more suspicious of me now. Wonderful._

"There's no need to worry about me," the monk promised. "I got through the park yesterday with Shonen, I'm talking a lot more with Ayako, and things are going well." He smiled, feeling a little of the worry and fear in his chest melt away. "Really. And Dr. Darren told me to message him whenever I needed to."

John studied him; Houshou felt his smile becoming strained.

 _How else can I show you that I'm okay?_

"See?" He spread his arms out and turned in a circle, trying to hurry his friend up. "I'm fine."

The questioning look melted away, replaced by an almost unheard sigh.

 _Is he sighing in relief, or that he thinks I'm faking it?_

"Then, let's get to the cafe a little early and grab some coffee," offered John.

"Not sure we have enough time," said Houshou, looking at his phone. "How about later, after the meeting? And haven't you already had a cup?"

"There's no such thing as too much coffee," came the immediate reply. Then a pause. "Well... maybe when it's Mai that's drinking it."

The two of them laughed a little at the thought.

"I just realized," John continued, "that it's been a while since we've sat and chatted. And I'd like to fix that."

 _And spy on me for Naru. Got it._

"Afterwards then," said Houshou, trying not to groan. "Let's get this meeting over with, and I'll get some tea while you hit up the coffee again."


	6. Trepidation & Trials (Masako's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : Decided to end on a different cliffhanger than planned - however the violence and injury descriptions continue from Chapter 7 (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Please enjoy the chapter, and just to remind everyone, I will probably not be posting in the middle of NaNoWriMo :) See you in December!

* * *

 _Wednesday, early afternoon - Couldforest Cafe_

* * *

Masako placed her tea to the side of her plate and sat down at the table, listening to the chatter around her and taking in the decor of the Cloudforest Cafe. It was a roomy four floors, the top having an open deck to watch fireworks from during summer. The third floor had been carpeted in green with the walls painted to look over treetops, and the lower two floors being the trees and the ground, respectively. She'd only been able to catch a small glimpse before being taken here by a helpful staff member, but the "music" on each floor had seemed to match the themes...which made sense since "Cloudy" from Simon & Garfunkel was currently playing.

This was one of the private rooms that parties could book–the table in the middle of the room was shaped as a cloud, shimmery linen making the plain color glow a more enthrall hue than a simple white would, and there was a skylight in the ceiling, adding enough light that no others were on at the moment, though at night that was most likely a different case. She looked around, noting fluffy white couches at each of the windows and seeing that there was even a bathroom up here, so there was no need to go wandering down to the lower floors.

 _I wonder what songs are at the bottom of this rain forest? Or maybe it's more nature noises than lyrical_.

She took a sip of her green tea and shifted slightly to the right. Ayako was currently talking up a storm to Mai about the shrine she'd found in the theme park, hands waving wildly to punctuate her points.

"-and I was so disappointed! I mean, the statues were intricate, right down to the details, and I thought that surely it was a real shrine! Not to mention there was this guy-"

 _That's not good. We won't be able to depend on her stronger powers if there are no tree spirits around for her to talk to._

Masako frowned, but didn't add anything. Mai made comforting remarks and patted Ayako on the hand, the two of them moving into a chat about how expectations being dashed were particularly cruel jokes from the universe. Across the table from the psychic were Naru and Lin, the two of them having a hushed conversation involving a map, a thick red pen, and the notes on Lin's laptop that they both kept glancing at.

 _Probably going over the information and trying to decide what to do today. Wish I was close enough to overhear them._

But she wasn't, so she turned to her left, where Houshou and John were discussing what would prompt a ghost, or a human, to pinch others.

"-probably the kids." Houshou took a sip of his iced tea, pulling hard on the straw and sucking at the dregs. John's coffee mug was equally as empty, several thin brown lines showing the progress of a liquid demise.

 _Looks like they've been in here for a while._

She smiled as John caught her eye, then dove back into the conversation with a rejoinder that small kids wouldn't think to pinch, they'd just try to get under skirts and fit between legs; they did it more as a comfort thing that happened to make an adult embarrassed at the same time. Pinching would be more akin to juveniles that were setting out to make a person feel uncomfortable and wouldn't be able to get away with the action since they were old enough to know better. Houshou cocked his head to the side, thinking about it and sending Masako a nod of acknowledgment at the same time.

 _Thank you for keeping your promise John. It helps me know someone is looking out for our monk._

The clock in the room chimed a gentle toll, reminding everyone around that it was two in the afternoon, and Masako saw Naru's eyes flicker towards the door.

"Very well, since Yasuhara-san has decided-"

He was cut off by the door banging open, Osamu standing in the doorway with an ashen face, wheezing.

"Here!" he gasped, shooting a dirty look at the smirking Houshou. "No thanks...to my...roommates!"

"We set several alarms for you," said John, his face radiating innocence. "Were they not enough?"

 _That's right, Osamu's a heavy sleeper._ Masako hid a smile with the sleeve of her kimono. _He was like that in the hospital too. I remember coming back from a check-up and seeing one of the nurses frantically trying to wake him up; they'd thought he'd fallen unconscious._

Naru arched an eyebrow and Osamu fled for the remaining seat, gratefully grabbing the pitcher of iced coffee and pouring himself a glass. John took it after him, choosing to fill his coffee mug back up instead of using a new glass, then Ayako stole it after him and doctored her coffee with gum syrup and cream as Naru continued.

"Now that we're all here," their leader said, specifically not looking at Osamu, "we can share information and see what we're dealing with. While everyone reported to me individually last night, I'd like each of you to give your own impressions and thoughts about the areas you explored. Afterwards, we'll decide on the best course of action from here on out. Houshou, you and Osamu can start us off."

The monk groaned softly as he stood up, leaning a little too long on the back of his chair.

 _Is the groan from being first or from having to move? And if I can see he's having some trouble, can-_ She darted a glance at Ayako, who was frowning. _She saw it too. And I'm sure Naru didn't miss it._

"Before anyone says anything about not telling the truth," Houshou began, glaring at Naru, "yes, my legs are sore from yesterday. That's it. I'm not in pain. I don't need to be taken off this case."

Osamu snorted at that remark, and there was a dangerous gleam in Ayako's eyes.

 _I highly doubt your "no pain" comment, but since those two will help keep you on track, I'll refrain from speaking out. This time._

"Anyhow, Shonen and I checked out the Picnic Area, Infinity, and walked along the many dark and lonely paths there are here at night." He frowned. "Many. Lazer Tag was closed by the time we made it over there, but we didn't sense anything from the outside." He looked to his partner. "Anything you want to add?"

Osamu stood up, knocking back the remains of his coffee in a single swig.

"I wasn't with Bou-san at the time, but I thought I heard someone whispering to me in Games Alley."

"And why," asked Naru icily, his gaze narrowing into a glare, "weren't you with your partner?"

 _He's either still angry that Lin manipulated him into letting Houshou come, or he's worried about something he hasn't told us._ Masako studied Naru's face, trying to see if she could figure out which one was more likely. Osamu, surprised at the harsh tone, gaped and floundered with his answer.

"Cut the kid a break," Houshou interrupted, leaning forward a little and catching Naru's attention; Masako could see the moment dark eyes shifted from Osamu and locked onto a new target. "He went to get something to eat and we paired up again within five minutes, no later."

"There's little sense in assigning partners if you're both going to go in separate directions."

 _This seems to be a continuation of Kiryu. How long are the effects of that case going to haunt us?_

Houshou scowled and straightened, his hands digging deeper into the back of the chair he was still holding on to.

"It was five. Minutes. What, are we supposed to go to the bathroom at the same time too? Use the same stall even?"

"It's not just going to be you," Lin added, stepping into the conversation. "I'll elaborate more on the reasons why, but after this meeting we'll all be in pairs and it'll be best if partners at least stay in sight of each other."

 _Oh? I was wrong then, this is a new worry. I wonder what the others found out that caused this?_

Houshou pursed his lips, but nodded and sat down. Osamu hit his own seat heavily a few seconds later, shaking hands pouring himself another coffee. He smiled at something Bou-san whispered to him, but everyone could see his heart wasn't in the movement.

 _I'll check up on him later as well._

"I'll add what I found," continued Lin, "since I'm already up. Most of the attractions I wished to visit were closed, however, I also heard several voices in Games Alley when there was no one there, I felt a sense of earthly rot coming from the House of Mirrors, and someone tried to pickpocket me. Ayako?" He nodded to the redhead and sat down again, going back to the notes in front of him but directing an arched eyebrow at Naru.

 _Probably telling him not to antagonize Houshou. As for the attempted pickpocket... well. I'm sure they quickly realized how stupid that idea was._

As Ayako stood up the door opened, and a woman wearing a t-shirt with the cafe's logo wheeled a small cart into the room.

"Sorry to interrupt, but I'll just be a moment," she said, holding up one of the plates. "Today's lunch special is a fresh green salad topped with slivers of raw ham, a slice of quiche on the side. The main course is bell pepper and shrimp penne in a heavy cream sauce, and dessert is tiramisu. Please help yourselves to the water, tea, and coffee on the table, and if there's anything else you need, don't hesitate to ring the bell. Mrs. Kawai said that you're welcome to use this room until 8pm, and that she's sorry but she won't be able to join you today as some issues have cropped up that she needs to fix."

They all nodded, and the woman began to put their salad plates in front of them.

"I visited the shrine, the maze, and walked down a few of the paths myself yesterday," Ayako started, pausing to take a long drink of her coffee as she murmured a thank you to the server. A second staff member, a tall man with a crooked nose and spiky hair came into the room with the pasta, and he froze for a few seconds when he saw her. She narrowed her eyes at him, but he just turned his shoulder to her and focused on the plates.

 _Strange... I wonder what that was about?_ Masako glanced at Houshou, but he seemed just as confused as her. Lin had a more knowing look in his eyes.

"In the same vein as Lin and his pickpocket, " Ayako continued, not looking at either of the servers, "a very creepy guy found me near the shrine, so I'm going to be carrying a can of mace, and I swear I will use it. Mai and Masako should as well."

The man froze again and clenched his jaw, leaving the room and the two remaining plates for his coworker to finish. She frowned, lips twisted, but served them and followed the man, leaving the cart in the corner near the elevator. The door closed softly behind them.

 _Did I imagine the look Ayako just got?_ Masako felt as if there had been a whole conversation she'd been left out of. _I doubt someone who works here would creep on the customers. Maybe he was angry at something else? Or maybe he naturally scowls?_

"Ayako, was that man the one at the shrine?" asked Houshou, his eyes narrowing dangerously. She sighed, tucking some of her hair behind her ears and rolling her neck hard enough to crack it.

"I'm honestly not sure," she said, looking back at the door, as if waiting for the man to come back in and defend himself. "I was at the shrine, I heard children giggling around me, and some of the electronics were going off. Kinda spooky, kinda creepy. In the middle of all that, some guy grabs my wrist-" she held up her hands as Houshou stood up, pushing his chair back. "Would you wait a minute!? He said he grabbed it to keep me from falling down the stairs since someone had died that way already, and it was after that when he started being creepy. It looks like him," she added, stressing the action, "but it was dark last night and I'm not going to accuse someone when I'm only half convinced."

"Which is why you said that you'd be carrying mace from now on." John nodded. "If it was him, then he'll think twice before approaching you again."

"Which might mean he'll go to someone less prepared," remarked Ayako dryly. "So it feels like I'm sending him to attack someone else."

"Again, if that truly was him," said Naru. "Which is the reason why I want everyone to be in pairs."

 _I'm fine with that. If it comes down to the three of us here, then I'm the one that looks most likely not to fight back._

Houshou shot an indecipherable look at Ayako, then sat down again, letting a small groan escape.

"I also heard some childish laughter near the shrine, but on the plus side, there was a very nice spirit in the tree at the middle of the maze; her whole demeanor was different from any that have talked to me before and I get the feeling she's not a tree elder. She invited me to go back though, and to bring anyone I'd like with me." Ayako sat down and grabbed her water, drinking it in a gulp.

 _Note to self: check on Ayako after Osamu. I'm not sure she's saying everything about that shrine incident, and if she's hiding anything, then it'll come out later on in the room._

"And that's the concerning part," said Naru, picking at his quiche. "There seem to be at least five areas with activity, if not more. The day group notes have an inhuman atmosphere at the House of Mirrors and the ghosts of children playing in the Picnic Area. Not included are places we weren't able to cover of course, such as Lazer Tag and some of the other attractions, and the information from the night group has added Games Alley, the Shrine, and the Maze. From this point forward, I want everyone to be paired. You're welcome to change pairs when you'd like, of course, but you must be near your partner at all times. At this moment, I would prefer if at least one person is able to put up a moderate defense."

 _That makes sense. So, no pairing up with Mai or Osamu then._

"I," he continued after eating a bite, "will be at the command center. The environment at the House of Mirrors is not... suitable for me." There was an anger in his eyes as he admitted that, then stabbed the salad.

 _That's probably what he and Lin were whispering about. And,_ Masako realized, _that's why he snapped at Osamu earlier._

She glanced over at him, and judging by the relieved look on his face, he'd come to the same conclusion. Houshou, on the other hand, was slicing up his quiche with hard movements, still unhappy about Naru's previous remarks to the student.

"I would ask that the House of Mirrors is checked first," Their boss continued. "And I shall watch on the screens since there are cameras for every angle in there."

"Who's going to be your partner then?" asked Houshou, crunching a lettuce leaf. "Or are you leaving yourself out of that requirement." There was a hidden bite to his question.

 _Those two need to be locked in a room until they talk their problems out._ Masako looked over to Lin. _I wonder if he'd help me do that?_

"As I'll be in a chair, my partner will also be sitting with me." Naru mused aloud, drinking some water but never taking his eyes off of Houshou. "Whom shall I pick? Do you know if there's a person here that needs to take some weight off their feet?"

It wasn't a subtle threat - Masako had watched over the years as Naru learned that specific people in their group could completely ignore the subtle edge of a knife. This was a heavy club, an obvious threat laced with sweetness, and aimed unflinchingly at the monk.

 _It would serve you right_ thought Masako as Houshou flushed, and shut his mouth with a snap. _However, that's not the most strategic place for you, and I don't think Naru is ready to deal with a whole afternoon of maudlin monk attitude._

"As I'll need a competent researcher though, Yasuhara, you're with me. And I'll be asking for your assistance in planning for the future."

 _And that's a fine example of Naru-speak. An apology for his biting comments with a slight insult in the same sentence._ Masako picked up her tea and grinned into the cup. _Those two will be fine. Which will leave six people to go into the House of Mirrors._

"Is there anywhere else we're going to check out today?" asked John

"House of Mirrors first," said Naru. "And after we know more, we'll talk about where's next."

"Then I'll need to go back to the hotel for my supplies."

Naru nodded, and the conversation went on to unimportant things as everyone finished the lunch set out before them, pushing the bell for dessert. This time there were two men serving the dish, neither one of them the guy from before.

* * *

 _Wednesday, later in the afternoon - House of Mirrors_

* * *

Masako stood in front of the group as they gathered outside the House of Mirrors, sunlight thankfully diffused by the tree branches arching overhead. The summer day was hot, and direct beams wouldn't have been a favor to anyone. The noise had also picked up after they had left the cafe, mothers and children joined by workers taking a half-day and students free from classes. They all tried not to stare at the attraction, but the combination of moldy earth, dampness, and deep pressure was a riveting contradiction to the weather of the day.

Ready? texted Naru. I can see you here, but I'm still working on getting access to the House of Mirrors cameras. The access code Mrs. Kawai gave me isn't working.

next group for first line answered Mai, her thumbs flying across her screen John wants to know if we wait for cameras

No. We're taking this opportunity to gather research, and I don't want to wait for that feeling to get any bigger.

Masako nodded. They'd come here directly after lunch, and in less than twelve hours the pressure had grown.

 _It's a little frightening at how fast, but thankfully everyone's here, and everyone's ready_.

Ayako and her charms. John and his supplies. Lin and his spirits. Masako eyed Houshou, just in case he was having second thoughts, but she didn't see anything that could be taken as a lack of confidence or regret that he had joined the fight again. His body was poised, ready to take on the problem, and there was a sharpness in his eyes no one could miss. The anger from earlier was gone, and she hadn't seen him limp from the cafe back to the hotel, nor the hotel to here.

 _Good._ She looked up at the structure. _While I wouldn't blame him at all if he wanted to sit this one out, it's comforting to know that he's shoring us up again_. _When he's gone there's an absence that's hard to cover, and I'm not just talking about his unique sense of humor._

"We're going to have to split up," Masako said, not looking away from the miasma in front of her. "That sign over there says a group can only be four people at the most."

"Three and three then?" John asked. "Or should we go pair by pair? Four and two?"

"I'll LINE Naru," said Mai.

 _Three and three might be the best option, splitting the group in half. Most likely Houshou, Mai and Ayako, then Lin, myself, and John if I had to guess._

"He's probably going to say pairs," said Houshou, rubbing the back of his neck. "Just for the power balance."

Lin and Mai. John and Ayako. Masako and Houshou. Naru texted. That's the best stabilization of environmental awareness and power. No attacks, and if defense is needed, make sure there's no splash damage.

"If there's a possibility of others being hurt, shouldn't we close the area off?" asked Ayako softly, reading a sign saying which types of people were not allowed into this attraction.

"I still haven't been able to reach Mrs. Kawai," answered Lin. "And though I'd normally agree with you, we need to see what's happening."

 _It's not a good sign when the whole building is practically dripping power. If this was hitting one person though, we should have seen or heard something about it beforehand._

be carefultexted Osamu, his message appearing under Naru's.

we'll b careful. not attacking, only scouting.

Osamu sent Houshou's answer a bear giving an eye roll.

 _I wish we could close it down to the public. We don't know anything about this, and I'd rather not have to be concerned about anyone else._ Her lips quirked up in a small smile. _Worrying about this group is bad enough._

Masako nodded to herself, then walked across the street to stand in line, Mai following at her elbow.

"Do you think it's a spirit?" she whispered, still somehow sounding louder than when she spoke normally.

 _I'm not sure. The feeling I get is not the same as a spirit, but it's... similar. Almost the same as when we were in that cave, with the area being a concentrated spot. Unlike the cave though, hopefully there's no god in here wanting to hurt us._

"I'm not sure," Masako told Mai, giving up on focusing from the outside. "I'll need to be inside, and closer to the feeling to see if I can pick up anything."

"It's okay," Mai said, patting her on the shoulder and giving a bright smile. "We'll figure it out."

The people in front of them handed over their tickets and went to stand near the door. It looked like an eye, except the pupil was rectangular and the other parts of it were colored mirrors. Each of them held a reflection, but because of the paint they weren't clear enough to see much of the person standing in front of them.

 _Hmm. I would have thought the mirrors used in the attraction would be the same type used out here. Have they been painted over on purpose? Or is it decoration gone bad?_

"Tickets?" asked the bored-looking staff member, holding out his hand.

"We've got bracelets." Masako showed hers off, and the others in her group did the same; while they hadn't been able to get in contact with the ringmistress, there had been eight bracelets left for them with Rose at the hotel counter, compliments of Mrs. Kawai.

"Okay. Then go on through. The line's not so long right now, but there's probably a ten-minute wait."

Masako flinched at that.

 _Standing around that long and soaking in that feeling is going to be horrible._

"That's fine," said Lin, leaning in over her. The ticker counter nodded, then opened the green gate for all of them to enter. "Sorry Masako," he added. "I know how you feel."

"It is a bit much," agreed Ayako, coming over and patting her on the shoulder. "So let's talk about something else."

"How about that waiter from earlier?" asked Houshou pointedly, leaning against the rail. "Did he do anything else to you?"

Masako's thoughts went to the small spray can she was carrying in her purse.

"I don't want to talk about that right now," Ayako said flatly, giving Houshou her 'so help me Elders you are on my last nerve' look. "I've said what happened, I've done what I can to prevent it, and that's it. If he touches me again he gets a spray in the face."

"Naru said that he wanted us to LINE any information," John broke in, "but did he ask about taking video or texting?"

Mai pointed to written sign ahead of them and read it aloud.

"No food, no drinks, no videos (including cell phones), and no talking on your phones while on this attraction. Thank you!" She looked to John. "Camera call was a good idea though."

John shrugged.

"I think we could still get away with it. If we just recorded and didn't say anything, would they even know we were doing it?" He saw the look the others were giving him. "What?"

"They're surprised you're talking about breaking the rules," Lin said with a slight smile. John pouted, not helping his image.

 _He looks even younger when he does that._ Masako hid a fond grin beneath her kimono sleeve.

"I don't mind breaking the rules if it'll help people," he muttered, not bothering to hide the amusement written completely across his face. "You've all known me for several years now and you still think I'm a goody-two-shoes."

"That's because you are one," Houshou said, ruffling John's hair and stepping back with a laugh.

 _...did John get lucky, or did he do that intentionally to diffuse the atmosphere?_

The mood stayed lighter from then, and every few minutes, right after Masako heard a welcoming shout, everyone moved up in line a couple of steps. It was enough progress to make them think they were actually getting somewhere, but it was also more time spent getting closer to that... atmosphere.

 _It feels as if an army of ants are crawling on my skin._ She resisted the urge to scratch, clenching her fists instead. _I really don't like this._

Finally, just when John was talking about the latest book he was reading, they reached the entrance. Before them was the pupil door covered in mirrors, but it was fragmented, and each piece had a different angle on it. Houshou appeared short and fat in one, while Mai was stretched taller than Lin in one of them.

"I wonder if they're all fun house mirrors inside," Lin commented, tracing his finger over one of the larger pieces.

 _Normal mirrors would be fine with me._

"What's the plan?" asked John, holding his rosary in his right hand.

naru cameras?

No. Still trying.

"No cameras still," said Mai, unnecessarily since everyone was already checking their phones for the answer.

LINE any information you find and would be good to share, keep your eyes open, and try to find where the source of that feeling is coming from commanded Naru.

"Fair enough," said Houshou, looking over his message. At the exact moment he was speaking, a large bust of music sounded from behind them, sending him about a foot up in the air.

...you do know that I can see you from my position? If you can't handle a loud noise, I don't think you're prepared to handle whatever's in there. 

Houshou let out an indignant snort, grabbed his phone, and pressed the video call button.

 _That was the absolute worst thing to have said._ Masako mentally groaned, looking away from the verbal train wreck about to happen.

 _Too bad I can't close my ears too._

"Look Naru." Bou-san's voice was low, angry. Hissed. "I said I would tell you if I needed to sit this one out. If you're going to dismiss me because I was jumped at something surprising, you'll have to do the same to Mai and John. They were just as startled by that noise." continued their monk, eyes narrowed. "Or are you admitting you don't trust me?"

Naru sigh was loud enough to be heard over the phone.

"I'm not admitting anything," replied their boss, giving Houshou an obvious look over in the video call. Their monk stood straighter under the gaze, but there was a slight lean to the left, his eyes were bloodshot, and as Masako had been seeing throughout the day, his smiles tended to slip into frowns when he thought no one was watching.

 _He's gotten so much better, but there still seems so far to go._

"You will show me, by your actions, if you are to be trusted concerning this."

There was an unspoken threat in the air that if Houshou couldn't be trusted with this one thing now, then he would not be trusted with anything in the future.

Masako looked away, not wanting Bou-san to feel the weight of her gaze being added to the entirety of the group, who was also watching and listening to the conversation.

 _This isn't good. It's starting to be Naru against Houshou, and the two of them will force the rest of us to choose sides._

There was movement in one of the mirrors. John's wink came from the reflection to her left.

 _Good. I can count on him to stay neutral with me. Lin might try, but ultimately I see him on Naru's side, balanced against Ayako with Houshou. Mai and Osamu are wild cards for now, especially since I know the two of them are still a little shaken, which leaves John and myself as the voices of reason._

She looked around the room again, then froze as she felt something.

 _How...? Is it us?_

"Apologies," Masako said, giving a small bow, "but this conversation needs to be continued at another time since all of our concentration should be on the House of Mirrors. Can you feel it?"

Mai immediately shook her head.

 _Not surprising. Out of the group, she and Osamu have the lowest perception of environmental energies._

Houshou jammed his thumb on the red end-call button. He then shoved the phone back into his pocket, sharp jerky movements daring anyone to say something.

"I can," he said, looking at the colored mirrors at the front door.

 _I don't think he's looking at his reflection though, not with that faraway gaze._ She studied him for a few more seconds, then turned her attention to the others. Lin glared at each of the corners they were near, then started looking along the wall, almost as if he was a hound scenting a fox. Ayako and John opted for a more practical approach: she was currently rummaging in her purse for a charm and he had already grabbed his holy water, the cap loosened.

 _I don't remember them being so quick to action. Did they start doing that after Kiryu? Or is it because Houshou is a reminder to stay alert?_

Masako shook her head.

 _It doesn't matter why they're doing it, she told herself, just be grateful they're ready to defend if needed._

"What's happening?" asked Mai moving to the front door.

"The pressure has grown a bit more," said John softly, stepping closer to Houshou, who was still staring at the mirrors.

"Is it us though? Or is something else causing it?" asked Mai.

"Welcome!" cried out a staff member, popping out and bowing before them. Mai and Ayako shrieked, grabbing each other as John jumped and Houshou backed away, fists up.

 _I guess Lin and I were the only ones who paid attention to the groups that went before us_. Masako shook her head and smiled cheerfully at the confused woman.

"Sorry about that," she apologized, trying to buy a few seconds for the others to calm down a little bit. "But you startled them."

"I see," the worker said, trying not to laugh. "You're all in this together though, right?"

"Yes," Masako said, nodding. "Would it be possible to go through as a group of six?"

The woman shook her head, putting her body in the doorway and hanging a little bit from the top.

"No can do, but I can let you all wait together in the main entrance hall. We normally do that with the bigger groups we get from schools and clubs. You'll go off in smaller groups from there."

 _That sounds perfect._

"We'd like to do that then," said Lin.

"Then welcome to the House of Mirrors!" she boomed again, laughing as no one jumped. "Guess you learnt your lesson the first time. Follow me, and stick close; the House is always happy to see new souls!"

 _That doesn't sound ominous._

They followed her inside the eye, going from a bright and sunny day to an area cloaked in inner-eyelid black. Thankfully the heat stayed outside, along with most of the noise from everyone else waiting in line and passing by the attraction.

"There are a few rules to follow while on this attraction, and here they are," the woman said, turning and turning on a torch beneath her face. The funny-looking makeup outside took on a sinister cast. "First rule: only four people can start at the same time, but if you meet up you can stay together. Everyone over the age of thirteen starts on their own path."

Masako pursed her lips.

 _I don't like the idea of Houshou being on his own in here._ She looked to Mai, and sniffed. _Honestly, I don't like the idea of any of us being on our own._

Nobody said anything about the pairs they were supposed to be in, so she stayed silent too, waiting for the rest of the information.

"Second, if you need to leave the House of Mirrors for any reason, please hold an arm over your head, and a member of the staff will escort you out using the secret tunnels."

 _That's good at least, but we don't need the exit, we need to find out what's going on in here._ She looked over her group. _And let's be honest. Most of the people in my group are stubborn enough not to signal for help._

"Finally, please don't break any of our mirrors. You certainly don't want seven years of bad luck, do you?" They laughed, but only John and Mai joined in, weakly.

 _I don't want to imagine seven years of bad luck in our line of work._

"Thank you for visiting the House of Mirrors, and we hope we see a stronger you on the other side!" The woman gave a cheerful wave again and disappeared. The six of them were left alone in the cold room. Suddenly, a fake gas light lit up near a mirror frame. Number 1 was painted above the door, and this one had jagged-looking shards of glass facing outward, almost like a hedgehog. Another joined the first in being lit up, 2, and this one was a reminder of the plants and lovely flowers that were around them, outside in the park and at the hotel. Mirrored vines wound their way up the side, then bloomed into more painted flowers. The other two doors gained their lights as well, 3 and 4: the first one more of a Halloween prank with fake spider webs woven across the entrance, and the other looked like a simple wooden frame. Nothing special, and because of that, it stood out even more.

"There is a three minute waiting period before the next group can set out." Came a voice from above them. "Please leave swiftly since lingering can affect the people waiting in line behind you. Have fun and good luck!"

Mai was the first one to talk.

"Well," she said, giving a nervous giggle. "With only three pairs, I guess it's a good thing they want us to split up."

"Having four entrances," Lin pointed out, "allows us to double up on two of them. Masako, I think you have the best feel of this place." There was a wry twist to his lips at his description. "Do you feel that any two in particular would be best?"

 _Not really. That pressure is completely spread over the whole area. Even, like the top of a cake._ She walked in front of each doorway, trying to sense any changes in what she felt.

"Maybe... this one?" Masako put her hand near the glass shard door, then gave the flower one a dubious look. "I think."

 _I'm not a psychometric after all._

"And what did they mean by that?" asked Ayako, her mouth twisted in confusion. "'a stronger you'?"

"Whatever they meant, " Houshou said quietly, stepping to her side and squeezing her shoulder, "I don't like the sound of it." Mai and Osamu looked at him in concern, but he waved it off, giving a sickly half-smile. "Think about it. Usually, to make something stronger it has to be...well, beaten a bit before. Put through a wringer."

 _I think we've all been through enough._

"The same as a sword hammered in a forge," agreed John, nodding.

"They probably meant seeing yourself in a different way, or something like that," Mai said, her voice cheerful and optimistic even if worry lurked in her brown eyes.

 _I think Houshou is on the right path. How badly is this House of Mirrors going to test us?_


	7. I'm Not Fine (Bou's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : This is when the violence and injury descriptions start - you've been warned (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Have a wonderful New Year everyone, and may 2020 bring you happiness!

* * *

 _Wednesday, late afternoon - House of Mirrors_

* * *

Houshou took another step forward, shoes sinking into the soft carpet the further he moved away from the door he'd chosen. The pressure they'd all felt building up from outside was now puddling around his ankles, a tidal ankle suck looking to drag him deeper.

 _Maybe that feeling will help me figure out where the center is... though with my luck the water will deepen instead of growing more shallow._

None of them had known what to expect behind the four doors. That indecision resulted in the traditional Japanese way of choosing; rock paper scissors, with the winners picking their doors first. Being rock steady in the first few rounds whittled down the participants until the winners had emerged: Houshou, Lin, Masako, and Mai would be the first four to enter the House of Mirrors, with the monk being able to claim first.

 _I wonder how this is going for the others? Are our corridors different? The same? Similar?_

It hadn't been so bad. The lighting of the area had gone down since he'd left the main room, dimming and dwindling, but it had left fragile trails in the dark to show the different paths that he could take. Or, so far, the only path he could take.

 _At least I don't have to be worried someone's going to jump out of the walls with a chainsaw, then chase me deeper into the attraction. It still doesn't feel safe, and there's a surreal quality in the air._

"Like that kid's movie!" Bou-san said, snapping his fingers loudly in the silence. "What's the title? Where the girl had an other mother? And she went through a looking glass?"

The only answer came from something glinting in front of him, and if he squinted, he could make out a darker shadow at the end of the corridor. Another step caused the lights around the object to grow brighter, and after two or three more strides, he could see that there was a mirror there, one surrounded by fairy lights, with darkness eating at the edges. The feeling of pressure moved higher, sucking at his legs from around the mid-calf area.

"Guessing you want me to go over there then," Houshou said, his voice crumbling in the darkness.

The mirror on the other side of the wall flickered.

"Yeah, sure. Not creepy at all. Just another day working for SPR." Houshou continued walking toward it, slowing his pace to check the areas around him. No rooms shot off from the sides, no niches were there to hide anything else. It was just one straight corridor. Unless there were secret doors he had yet to find.

 **you could not help them**

The monk stopped.

 **you could not help them and they were hurt**

"Who's there?" He snapped, feeling his heart pound in his chest.

 _There's something in here with me._ Then another thought popped up. _Something that can read thoughts or emotions._

Houshou cupped his hands to his mouth and called out a greeting, wincing as almost instantly the echo came back, his own voice cheerfully answering him.

 _No one with me in a small dark place._ The smile that appeared on his face felt too wide, too stretched. _It's the cave all over again._

 **hello**

 _And that's too late to have been an echo. Lovely._

"Hello?" he tried again, looking around him to see if there was anything, anyone else. Nothing. Just the mirror before him, growing brighter and brighter. Houshou pulled out his phone again, taking a bit of comfort in having it nestled in his left hand. The right grabbed his prayer beads.

 _I don't hear any of the others, so they probably didn't hear me. There are no LINE notifications either. Nothing. Don't worry, they're probably fine._

He hesitated, then tapped out a quick question, asking if the others were okay. Message sent, phone shut, and feeling a little less alone, Houshou walked closer to the mirror. It was still clear, though from this angle he should have seen a reflection.

 **look at yourself**

 _I will not be scared._ The monk reached for his charms, holding them in his left hand. _I'm more prepared this time._

 **straight in the eye**

Houshou took the last step, now almost nose to nose with the plain glass surface.

 _It looks like it should be a mirror, but why isn't it reflecting me? Is it covered with something?_

 **if you can**

Colors swirled in from the plain borders, mixing to form an image in the middle.

 _Fuck_

Familiar sandy brown hair clumped together, caked strands darker and leaving red streaks on a pale face. One eye was swollen shut, turned a nasty purplish-black, and the other was... just there. No life, no spark, no mischief or joy. It was glazed over in pain, unresponsive as it watched from the other side.

 _No... that's not me. I mean, it was me but not anymore._

The body itself hunched over both arms, blood dripping down the front of the shirt and onto the floor. The legs seemed okay at first, but further down was worse, red burns easy to see through tattered pants, along with bloodier areas. Bones in places bones shouldn't be. Skin scraped raw or simply missing.

"No!"

The monk wrenched his gaze away and spun, dizzy, nauseous, a flush crawling up from his chest warning him of the need to vomit.

 **you are always too weak**

"I refuse to believe that!" snarled Houshou, turning his back on the broken image of himself. "I don't know what you are or how you're finding this information, but I'm not weak!"

The man in the mirror shifted, letting out a groan of agony which doubled as a laugh.

"No…" Houshou said, the words swallowed by the walls and carpet around him. He coughed, throat dry all of a sudden, and far off on the edge of his hearing there were whispers from John, Ayako, and the others.

 _Help… please… it hurts…_

 _...we're still in the cave..._ Bou-san grabbed his beads. "Namu myoho renge kyo…" the chant helped, affirming words blocking out the voices and creating a feeling of calmness to wash over him at the same time.

When he finished, he looked up again, and his twin in the mirror was gone.

"There." He smiled, satisfied at the conclusion. "If that was the true image of me, why did it disappear?"

 **no matter the strength you show at times you are still broken**

The words were a poisoned arrow to the Bou-san's spirit. The walls he'd been building up since his first round of therapy began to fold in and crumble.

"How are you doing this?" Houshou's voice was jagged, pained as he looked around again, hoping to find something else.

 _Anything else._

"Why are you doing this?"

 **to show you who you really are**

"I'm not," he said, shaking his head. Inside, he could hear all the words of courage and congratulations he'd gotten from everyone since Kiryu. When he'd woken up again. When his final cast had come off. When the bruises and the cuts had quieted to silent slivers of scars.

"Everyone breaks at some point," Housou admitted. "And maybe I was broken at points in the past, but I'm not now. I know that."

 _What kind of spirit can see the past? No one else is yelling or screaming, so is this happening to only me? Wait a second–Naru wanted evidence. That spirit might not be here, but maybe he can recognize the mirror frame from something._

He pulled out his phone and held it up, peering at himself through the lens.

"Smile for the camera buddy," he said, wincing a little at the flash that went off. _Hopefully that won't be a problem._ "'Cause the best part of having friends is that I don't have to deal with this shit alone."

 **the sooner you remember you are worthless and that no one should depend on you the sooner your friends will be safer**

"Sure," said Houshou, forcing a laugh. "Let me get right on that."

 _I can't let myself believe that again. Come on Houshou. Remember the demon dog? You're the one who saved Mai. The cave by the sea? You kept those zombies from munching on everyone. And in Kiryu... it didn't go at all as it should have, but you saved Naru from a crazy doctor, and after saving Ayako, John, and Lin from that damned spirit! Hell, saving the whole group since it wasn't going to stop with just me and Mai. Stop trying to see everything you didn't do and try to see the good you've done._

Houshou let out a long sigh. Behind the mirror the floor finally split, green and blue lights running right while the left twinkled red and gold

 _Left? Or right?_ He looked down both ways. _There feels to be more buildup coming from the right..._ Nodding, he mentally rolled up his sleeves and began walking again, following the lights along the corridor.

 **you will regret not listening to me**

"Doubt it!" The monk tossed over his shoulder. As soon as he walked around the corner he leaned against the wall, knees shaking so hard they were almost knocking together.

 _You have a strength all your own._ Ayako whispered to him, their conversation from yesterday coming to mind. He could almost imagine her in front of him, red hair darker in the shadows but small strands catching the light and looking like fire.

"Thanks," he muttered to the memory, wiping sweat away. "I'm not sure... not sure I can do this on my own."

 _You're never alone!_ yelled Mai, the girl bubbling up from one of those early just-started-healing days. Hands on her hips like usual, a passionate glare coming from her eyes. _You've got us!_

"I've got shadows at least," laughed Bou-san, covering his eyes for a few seconds. He waited until his breathing was steady and his heart was beating at a slower pace. "Right, come on monk. Let's get ready for an encore."

He started off again, and within a few seconds could tell that going right was the correct choice. The pressure kept flowing, moving from his calves to his knees, and it became harder to walk down the hallway.

"Reminds me of fighting off the mountain winds," he said aloud, trying to banish the creepy silence.

 **you remember how the pain felt**

He let out a gasp as a band of pressure snapped around his right knee. Experimentally, he tried bending it. There was a coldness coming from it, a freezing, numbing cold.

 _Better than the cave ice and fire the spirit liked._

"What are you doing?"

 **you came here to remember**

The band shrunk; Houshou scrabbled at it, trying to get it off.

 _Calm down - it feels as if it should have broken your bones, but there's no pain, no injury._

"No," said Bou-san as he stood up. "I came with my family to figure out what's been happening here, to find out why you've been active and what it means for people going up against you."

 _Were those people that went home and committed crimes banded too? Is it trying to control me?!_

 **you cannot remove it**

"Bullshit!" He looked around, glaring at the shadows. "There's always a way to remove things."

 _Like how you tried to remove yourself from the cave._

Houshou lurched forward, intent on getting to the next area of the corridor.

 _Don't let it get to you, just concentrate on figuring out what's going on._

"You know," he said aloud, a little bit of mirth creeping into his voice, "Usually things become harder with ghosts the closer I am to defeating them. So, I must be doing that with you."

Almost on the tail end of his words a new mirror appeared. It differed in every way from the previous mirror: color, size, shape, even the image it projected. With all the lights on the cooler end of the spectrum, it seemed almost underwater, the feeling helped along with the pressure inching ever upwards. The previous frame had been nothing to write home about, ordinary through and through, but this one was a softly glowing pearl, patterns shimmering as he shifted from foot to foot.

 _How do I get past it this time? Is there another corridor?_

 **do you think they accepted you back**

"They did," he snapped, back straightening a little bit. "I know they did, and you can't make me think otherwise."

 _Although... Naru doesn't trust me. Mai keeps watching me when she thinks I'm not looking. John checks up on me almost hourly. And it feels that Osamu confides in me less than he used to._

 **they are waiting for you to fuck up again**

"No they aren't!" The answer was torn from his lips, but there was a truth to it that settled in his chest.

 _Maybe..._ he took out his phone again, not happy to see that LINE remained without notifications. _Fine. I know Naru's waiting for me to screw up again, but the others aren't. I have faith in them._

The mirror wriggled, and the person who stood there now was covered in blood.

"You can't fool me with made-up images again," said Bou-san. The mirror must have heard the wavering in his voice. It shifted, the images expanding and folding to settle on him, blood dripping from a knife, standing over the broken body of Ayako.

 _No!_

 **you and i both know that is not true there are always ways to fool people**

"Look, spooky spirit that seems to be reading my mind." said Houshou, stepping closer. He stopped at his reflection stared back with baggy and bloodshot eyes.

 _...it really looks as if I killed her._

"Stay out of my mind, and I'll put in a good word for you before we exorcise you," offered Bou-san. "How 'bout that? Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."

 **you can not be rid of me**

"Wanna bet?"

 **i have been here longer than you have been alive and I will be here long after you have died**

 _Oh good. Just what I wanted to hear._

Houshou nodded, taking out his phone again and snapping pictures.

"I don't like you either."

 _That didn't sound like the spirit..._

"Who said that?" shouted Houshou, spinning around. Nothing. Just the mirror, this time showing him without Ayako, looking frightened. Alone. "Who's here?"

"I did. Or should I say, you did." The person in the mirror stepped closer. Like before it was still an echo of him, a broken-beaten monk with murder in his eyes. There was no smile, no grin, no twinkling eyes laughing. He-It-They didn't look happy. "I don't like you."

Houshou's mouth opened, but nothing came out.

 _It's the spirit and a new trick, nothing more. You know that._

"You're a weak, pathetic fool who can't even take care of his friends!" hissed the voice. His-Its-Their eyes went from brown to a blackish glinting red in the light. Houshou reeled, landing on his knees as too many memories flooded him. Choking on metallic tastes, covering in flakes of dried blood dull blood seeping from the wounds all over his body pain that never seemed to end that wouldn't end he was trapped-

"Look at me!"

He didn't want to. He didn't want to but his body wasn't listening to him any longer. Houshou turned, a swallowed scream clawing at the back of his throat.

The mirror's image had changed again. In front of him was Ayako, just as dead as before, this time pale and lying in a puddle of blood. Slumped against her was John, his everyday clothing a dark crimson since it had soaked up all the blood coming from the hold in his chest. Osamu was on his stomach, a book near his hand, but when Houshou looked closer at him, he could see a thin, wire-like wound on the kid's neck. More bodies were in the background; Lin, his body skeletal with sunken skin stretched over his protruding bones. Mai was protected by Naru, but even if the kid had used all of his powers they'd both been defeated. He was a statue of dark granite protecting one of rose quartz, forever too late to keep either of them safe. The only one still alive was Masako, in a half-sense. The psychic was possessed, alone physically and mentally.

"Do you see what you did?!"

"No…" He fumbled for his cell phone, turning it on and pointing it at the wall while filming. "This isn't true, it's not real. Do... does anyone see this? Do you see the same thing as me?"

"This is the mirror to your soul," said the blood-eyed Monk, flashing a smile. "This is what will really happen when your friends, your family, depend on you to save them. Death."

"No!" Houshou swung out with his free hand, punching the mirror. It cracked, but the vision didn't go away, it simply fragmented into a hundred nightmare pieces. "I won't allow that to happen to them!"

"Then you need to be stronger," whispered the voice again. "Stronger than you are now, to be brought down by a mirror and a 'fun-house' at the theme park."

Houshou felt himself heat up with anger.

"I am strong enough to defend them!"

"No... you think you are, but you're not. Just. Like. Before."

With a roar of pain and anger, Bou-san let go of the phone and punched the mirror again, shattering several broken shards and sending them to scatter across the floor, reflecting the light in the room. And him.

 _Shit. Shit shit shit!_ He shook his head and his hand at the same time, trying to massage the pain out of his knuckles. _I shouldn't have let it get to me._

 **i am sure they will see this as a simple mistake**

Houshou sucked in a sharp breath at the words.

 _I lost control. And that's all they're going to see._

 **what will happen to their trust after this**

 _Fuck... I can't. I can't let them see me breaking down again. I won't._

His eyes darted to his phone, lying on the ground next to him, still recording. Shaking hands picked it up. His thumb stopped the video, and for a few seconds the only sound he could hear was his heavy breathing. Then his finger flicked across the screen. Blurry eyes read the confirmation. Video deleted.

"What are you?" Houshou asked, not looking up.

 **i told you already**

The monk squeezed his eyes shut, letting waiting tears spill down his face.

 _Naru's right. I'm broken. And I'll never be me again, not fully._

A small squeak of a sound came from the corridor behind him.

 _Fuck–no, don't let anyone be there._

The lights went out, plunging the room into solid darkness and sending light spots swimming in front of his eyes. He blinked, trying to adjust to the new conditions.

 _Is this part of the spirit fucking me over?_

Houshou felt something touch his shoulder so he drove his elbow backward. Someone gagged as he hit something soft.

 _That's human._

"The fuck?" He cursed aloud, trying to find the person he'd hit. "Who's in here?"

A fist hit the back of his head and he crashed into the fragmented mirror, phone dropping from his hand. A few parts broke apart from the frame, and with even more shards falling around him he froze, not willing to put a hand or a knee on the sharp glass.

"Fuck you!" shouted someone in front of him. The voice sounded different from the other-Houshou; angry instead of accusing.

"Who are you?" He kicked out and was rewarded with a scream.

 _Ha! Must have hit something fragile!_

Then it was his turn to cry out in pain as someone grabbed his arm and wrenched it, forcing him to get to his feet. The feeling didn't last long as a sweet-smelling cloth was put over his nose and mouth, summoning a darkness that weighed upon his body and soul.

* * *

 _Wednesday - early evening in an unknown place_

* * *

Houshou woke up sitting down, arms strained behind him and splayed legs wrapped tight enough not to move. He also had a headache drumming at its own beat as his heart played another and his veins competed with them both.

 _Dammit. Gonna be hard...hard to think straight...fuck what I wouldn't give for some pain killers right now._

"What the hell is this...?" he muttered, scraping his tongue with his teeth to get a nasty, cloying taste off. Swallowing was worse. "Where am I?"

"In my private place," answered a polite voice in front of him. With more effort than he would have liked, Houshou lifted his head to see a man standing before him. A little on the slender side, but still muscular and not someone to go up against in a fight. Groaning, the bound monk tried to take in a little more of his surroundings by twisting to the right, then to the left.

 _Great. I'm in the middle of a warehouse, or some sort of storage area._

He pretended to stretch, trying to see if there was anything else around him, but then the man started to laugh.

"What?" he asked.

 _Not like I saw anything to help me figure out what's going on around here._

"You're not subtle at all, are you?" He took one last drag on a cigarette, then stubbed it out in a portable case. "Good, that'll make negotiations later on easy. Look around as much as you want; it doesn't matter."

 _I don't like the sound of that._

"Why?" Bou-san narrowed his eyes, but nothing of the person in front of him was familiar. "Who are you?"

"You don't know me, so just call me Oyabun." The man's smirk was a nasty piece of self-satisfaction.

Houshou felt his eyes widen, and he clenched his teeth to keep from saying anything stupid.

 _..fuck fuck fuckitty fuck... you've gotta be kidding me when the hell did the yakuza get involved in this?! And what does the head of the family want with me?!_

"I'm sure you're already trying to figure out why I asked my men to bring you here." A couple of taps on the case produced a new cigarette, and there was a faint click of a lighter. The man, Oyabun, breathed out a cloud of smoke. "I'll lay out my troubles. You have something of ours, and we'd like it back. It's that simple."

Bou-san blinked.

"...what?"

 _What is he talking about?_

"Don't play dumb. The bear. The drugs inside it." Another drag and release, this time with the smoke cloud aimed at him. "Where are they?"

Images flashed through his brain as he coughed. The heavy stuffed animal. Osamu buying it for him. Him wondering why it was so much denser than a normal bear. The nightmare, then taking it to Rose. Rose opening the bear...

 _Rose has the drugs._

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Houshou, proud that his voice didn't waver. There were several angry mutters behind him, but he couldn't see who they were coming from.

"We checked your room. We checked the bear."

 _Shit, was that only this morning..._ He shook his head. _John asked about it too, even if he didn't know. And I knew I couldn't have thrown the bear across the room in the middle of the night!_

"It's not there anymore, and you were the last one to have it; therefore you know where the drugs are." Oyabun began to pace in front of Houshou, turning every so often to continually blow smoke into the monk's face. "Hmm... I don't like that you're keeping silent. This was very important to me, but I don't think you understand how much. Maybe I can make you though." There was a slight nod to someone behind him, then something heavy was held against his back.

"What are you-" Houshou broke off with a shout of pain as something heavier slammed into whatever was on his back, sending shock waves through his body and rattling his bones. "Fuck!"

 _Ghosts can do it better._ The dark thought surfaced as another hit landed, and this time he laughed instead of cursed.

"Stop." Oyabun ordered. He stepped closer, grabbing Houshou by the jaw and lifting his face up toward the lights. For a few seconds Houshou was blinded, but the man must have seen something. A hardness maybe, or resignation instead of fear.

 _He sees that you're broken, that's all._

"You've done this before."

"What, been tortured?" It was either laugh or cry so Bou-san chose what might get him out of this crazy situation–he laughed. "Been there, done that, got the whole t-shirt collection."

"You're not from a rival gang."

It wasn't a question, so he didn't say anything.

"Okay." Oyabun smiled, nodding his head in understanding. "Intriguing, and while I'd love to dig deeper into your background, I'm on a deadline. Still, not a problem. I just need to think of a different way to get to you."

 _Or you could let me go?_

"How about I leave, and don't tell anyone about this?" offered Houshou, trying to keep his voice steady. "That way you don't have to worry about me and I don't have to worry about you. It's a win-win."

Someone kicked the back of the chair, and the monk's mouth shut with a loud clack.

 _Ow._

"Why did you even have that bear?" Oyabun asked instead, leaning against a pillar. "We specifically created a combination that no one would want, yet I was told that your companion was most insistent on buying it for you. Wouldn't take no for an answer."

 _Great. You made it unsellable and tailored it to me instead._

"It was a monk bear playing a guitar." Houshou shrugged as much as he could move. "That's me. I'm a Buddhist monk, and I play bass guitar in a band."

There was a rising bubble of laughter at that, but Oyabun frowned, making a motion so that all noise slipped away.

"You're a monk that plays guitar," he repeated, shaking his head and letting out a small laugh. "Of all the things to worry about, this was never on my radar."

"Ditto," muttered Bou-san, grunting as another kick made his back flare up.

 _Stop kickin' me!_

"Well, not everything can be planned for." Oyabun stopped in front of him, crouching down to stare into Houshou's eyes. "Where did the drugs end up? I need to know that."

"Dunno." Bou-san didn't dare look at the man. "Don't really care."

 _Dammit Houshou. Didn't you learn from Kiryu? Don't antagonize assholes._

There was a sigh, a few snorts of suppressed laughter, and one quick bray which sounded more donkey and less human. Oyabun turned his back to Houshou and snapped his fingers, the lights dimming as a projector screen unrolled from the ceiling.

"Let's take a different tactic." A software program started, and suddenly the small room bloomed with sounds from outside, calls and laughs and cheers from people on the attractions and waiting in line. "After taking you from the House of Mirrors, I sent some of my men out to follow your team. Mind you, we've been following you since you arrived here–you weren't at all inconspicuous."

"We weren't trying to be…"

Houshou's voice trailed off and his eyes narrowed as several pictures crowded the screen behind the man. Him and Lin from yesterday, when he was saying that Osamu would report for him. Lin standing protectively next to Naru, and the two of them in another picture, Lin giving the younger man a raised eyebrow as Mai whispered in his ear.

 _That must be what John was talking about when Mai tattled to Lin about Naru being cheap._

More and more pictures of their taciturn coworker showed up, even one where he was entering his and Naru's room at the hotel. Another when he went to take advantage of the hotel's hot spring.

"Is he important to you?"

"Lin's beyond–"

"Lin huh?"

Houshou clamped his jaw shut so quickly he bit his tongue.

 _Don't say another word!_

Oyabun tapped his cheek, smiling at the information Bou-san had let slip.

"A foreign name. And judging by his looks, either Korean or Chinese."

 _Hongkonger you idiot._

"This doesn't involve him!" snarled Houshou, his whole body trying to jump up and remove those pictures.

 _Can I go back to being mind-fucked by the spirit? Please?_

"Yet, this involves you, and through you, him. Such a pity." Oyabun smiled, but there was no warmth. "Many Japanese people are still prejudiced against Mainlanders and Koreans. No matter though. I'm sure if we drop a tip on the smuggling hotline that he's carrying a weapon, the police will treat him respectfully. An anonymous tip of course, since we wouldn't want to cause any more trouble."

Houshou just sat there, poleaxed.

 _Dammit, there's a reason I hate evil humans more than evil spirits. All that from him saying Lin's name._

"Lin's smart," he said at last, slowly and carefully. _Don't let them intimidate you, and don't tell them anymore than they already know_." And he has several Japanese citizens to support him."

"True…" Oyabun tapped his chin. "I might have to sacrifice one of our guns and a few bullets to make it stick, but putting your foreign friend in a Japanese prison for at least seven years? Priceless."

Houshou felt the blood drain from his face.

 _He won't. He can't. Most of the Yakuza don't have guns nowadays, so he's just trying to scare you._ A smaller voice inside him answered that it was working.

"On the other hand, smuggling those into the country was hard enough, so let's table that thought for now."

Houshou's lungs started working again, and Oyabun smiled at him, showing that he'd heard the reaction.

"Oh, don't worry. We're going to continue talking about your friend Lin. I still want to know where the drugs are."

 _What the hell do I do? I have no idea where Rose put them, or even if she knew they were drugs. Wait… that might work!_

"Promise," demanded Houshou, eyes fixed on Oyabun. "Promise me you'll leave him alone if I tell you."

"Would you accept my word?" Oyabun stepped closer, leaning in close enough that Boy-san could count the pockmarks on the man's nose. The scent of tobacco made his nose itch, and scratched his throat a bit as well.

 _Do I have a choice?_

He looked to the screen again, pictures of Lin plastered all over it, and his stomach knotted tighter.

 _No. I don't._

"The drugs... I took them out of the bear since it was heavy," he said, hanging his head as if he was defeated. _I can't let them know about Rose._ "Flushed 'em down the toilet."

"You what?!"

"Deaf? I said I-" The rest of his sentence stopped as a hand grabbed his throat and closed tight.

 _Don't struggle, don't give him the satisfaction!_

"If you want to stay alive, I would suggest not pissing. Me. Off!" Oyabun threw him away and Bou-san clattered backwards onto the floor, hitting his head hard enough to cause spots.

 _Didn't you learn from the last time?_

A couple of other people came over to righten the chair again, Oyabun shaking his head and clenching his fists.

"Fine... fine, I can work with this. As long as they're destroyed and not around to bite me in the ass. And I'll keep my word as well, since you did tell me what happened. However, you've been hanging out with other people." The pictures went from Lin to Ayako. Ayako in the hotel, her face alight at seeing the plant life. Ayako in the parking lot, carrying her brick-heavy suitcase. Ayako walking alone at night, flipping her hair and holding a phone to her ear. "Her, for example."

"Leave her alone!" Houshou thrashed against his bonds, pulling and twisting and jerking, but all he succeeded in doing was throw himself back onto the floor, getting another good view of the wooden ceiling. Oyabun paused as his subordinates pushed the chair back into a sitting position.

"I think I've struck a nerve," he joked, Houshou flushing red as the whole room sniggered. "Good. Maybe you'll take this seriously."

 _Fuck you._

"I did the moment you kidnapped me!" the enraged monk snapped, staring the man in the face.

"Liar. But that's okay, you'll learn." Oyabun turned back to the screen. "This woman. The way you two talk, how you angle your bodies to each other, sit close, and give out little touches... you like her."

 _No shit captain obvious._

He didn't say it aloud though.

 _I've already given them ammunition to use against Lin, and I'll be damned if I help them hurt Ayako too._

"It looks like she enjoys your company as well, which makes what we'll do easier. First off, we'll take her just like we took you."

Houshou smirked at the image that played in his head.

"Hope you like getting' hit in the face with a five-ton purse."

 _And being sprayed with mace too._

"Then," Oyabun continued, ignoring the comment, "I'll bring in a bunch of the more... sexually willing men and women under my command."

Each iota of emotion within him froze, deadened.

"No." The hoarse whisper slipped out. "Not Ayako."

"Write that name down!" Oyabun snapped to someone at the side. He walked over to Houshou, standing just beyond reach. "Don't worry, they're not for her."

Houshou didn't have time to relax before the threat continued.

"They're for you. They'll make you call out in pleasure, make you beg for more, and whenever she sees you, she'll only be able to see them. Whatever you have going on will be utterly ruined."

 _...what the fuck...? Who the hell thinks like this?_

"... cruel." He finally choked out as images danced before his eyes. Ayako watching in horror. Ayako refusing to have anything to do with him. Ayako leaving... leaving him alone. "What do you want?"

"That you tell no one about us for three days," Oyabun said immediately. "I need that time to move everything."

 _...he didn't say anything about not writing a note..._

"I'll do it," Houshou agreed, the words leaving a bad taste in his mouth.

 _And as soon as I can you asshole, I'll sic the police on you._

"Good." Oyabun nodded. "Let's move onto the next promise you're going to make."

 _Next promise?!_

Bou-san let out a cry of frustration as photos of John appeared on the screen, each of them showing off the Australian's spirit. One had him laughing, blue eyes sparkling at a shared joke. Another showed his quiet smile as he talked with Masako, letting the woman rest her head on his chest. Drinking coffee with Houshou and trying to make sure his friend was doing okay.

 _No–no more! Leave my family alone!_

"Another foreigner in your group, though this one looks younger, much prettier than the other one. Lin, wasn't it?"

The taste of copper in his mouth told Houshou that his bottom lip had given up the fight against his teeth.

"There's another promise I want you to keep," Oyabun said, his eyes looking John up and down. "I don't involve myself in the pink trade*, but I'll make an exception with your friend. I know people who would be interested in having such a pretty pet. And in training him too. Are you interested in hearing more?"

 _I'm interested in never hearing another word from you._

"...yes."

"Beg me." Oyabun's eyes glittered in the light, or maybe it was a reflection of the tears streaming down Houshou's face.

 _I hate you._

"Please... tell me…" He shuddered, his throat closing up but he forced words through it. "Tell me what... what you want me to do."

"Not tell another fucking soul about us," said Oyabun, running his hand along the side of Houshou's face. "Not by note, by text, by call, by email–nothing. Pure silence about us for those three days. Is that a fair exchange for your friend?"

"Yes," Bou-san sobbed, letting go of the idea of getting revenge.

 _Anything. Anything as long as they're safe from you._

He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to breathe through the tears. "Yes, I promise."

"Good man. One left, and then we'll set you free again. Outside in the air, in the sunlight." There was a pause. "Where you can scurry back to your friends and reassure them that you just, got lost for a moment or something."

 _One left? What more can you force me to do?_

Houshou shook his head, half in disbelief at what he'd already gone through with this villain, half in protest at yet another promise.

"What more?"

 _And who now?_

Oyabun grinned, motioning for the projector to move onto the next grouping of pictures.

"I promised I wouldn't threaten your friend Lin again, so I'll have to move on to another target, such as the young man you can blame for all of this."

 _Shonen..._

"That's… I don't…"

Oyabun continued talking over Houshou's indignant splutters.

"You're going to wear equipment so we can hear and see you keeping your promises. An audio recorder, a camera, and a GPS tracker. At the end of the three days, you're welcome to throw everything in the trash, but the second one of those stops submitting to us is the second I order my men and women to take your friends."

"I can't–"

"Then I guess I'll start with that woman first, then move onto the little blonde–"

"Wait a fucking second!" snapped Houshou, panting in panic but still meeting Oyabun's glare. There was a shudder of pain as someone kicked the back of the chair again. "How can I wear equipment like that and have them not notice?"

"Lie," ordered the unamused man. "Lie like their lives, and your life, depends on it."

"Right," sneered Houshuo, "I'll just hang a camera from my neck and hope no one says anything."

"I told you not to piss me off," said Oyabun, walking back to where Houshou was sitting. He grabbed the edge of the chair and pushed it backwards. "I know you've been through this before, I can read the marks left on you. But you got away from them, and you're not getting away from me. Remember that."

A woman sauntered up, kneeling to take Houshou's earring out.

"Don't touch me!"

She rolled her eyes, pulling out a new piercing from her back pocket as she pinned his earring to his shirt. The new one was inserted through the hole, with a rubber stopper slipped on behind it. A black, plastic necklace went around his throat, and an anklet was cinched on his right foot.

"Listen up idiot. The earring's how we're listening to you. I don't care if it's needling you when you sleep, don't take it off. The thing 'round your neck is a recording device disguised to look like a posture corrector, so if anyone asks you can tell them it's that. The anklet is our GPS tracker. As Oyabun said, you take anything off, obscure anything, or leave the theme park before the three days are up, then we're gathering you and your friends for a little fun. Got it?"

Bou-san nodded, the action sucking away at his spirit.

 _I'm screwed._

"Let me remind you before you try out any clever ideas. You are going to be watched and listened to for the entire three days by members of my family."

On the projector, the pictures of Osamu had been replaced with the smiling face of Oyabun. Houshou looked up and felt a weight drop on him.

 _Beyond screwed._

*the pink trade is Japan's term for the sex industry.


	8. Anxiety & Anger (Mai's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : The violence and injury descriptions have started - you've been warned (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Have a wonderful New Year everyone, and may 2020 bring you happiness!

* * *

 _Wednesday, early evening -_ _Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

Mai stood still in the middle of the park, surrounded by a small crowd of people in varying sizes, shapes, and colors. Her eyes darted from person to person, booth to booth, mentally cataloging who was there, comparing them against the Bou-shaped hole in her heart, and discarding any of them as being her missing friend.

 _The shooting gallery has the most amount of people around it, but unless Bou-san's the one pulling the trigger, then he's not there either. Damn it!_

She flinched as the group erupted into loud laughter, shouted jokes and ribs making fun of a man who had hit a metal target, but not with enough energy for it to fall down. Next to them, a shrill bell rang to signal the winner of a fake horse race, and from every direction there were lights distracting her, trying to draw her time, attention, and money to different games and areas.

A comforting weight dropped on to her left shoulder.

"We'll find him," came Lin's voice from behind. "And he'll be fine."

 _He's worried too. Normally he reassures only Naru like this, but I guess Kiryu put some cracks in his normal barriers. One good thing to come from all that at least._

"I know," Mai said, turning to look up at him and knocking his hand off in the process. Her unshed tears smeared his face into the colors around them. "It's just... it hurts. Like I've been hit by one of those white spirits again. Why is it him? He's already been through enough, damn it! He doesn't need to get any more dumped on him."

Lin nodded, then went back to scanning their surroundings. After assessing the crowds around them, he turned back to her.

"I understand."

Mai had to smile. Those two words were exactly what she needed to pull herself together. Confirmation from one of her adopted family that she wasn't the only one hurting, that they all cared just as much about their missing monk as she did.

 _And I never doubted that. I know we all show how we care in different ways. But..._ Mai let out a small sigh. _Sometimes hearing it makes me feel less alone._

"We'll find him." Lin's voice grew firmer, stronger. "After all, we found him once before."

 _Barely. Bou-san, where are you? What happened this time?_

She felt her back pocket vibrate and her thoughts scattered to the wind; Lin was quicker since he had been holding his phone in his free hand.

"Who found him?!"

A frown was her answer, and that told her what the message would be. She still opened LINE up though, focusing her trembling fingers enough so that she could see for herself what was going on.

Anyone lucky? John's question made sure those crashing hopes dashed against a hard boulder.

 _At least we didn't find him injured, right? There's a positive thought._

no replied Osamu immediately. He was speaking for Ayako as well since the two of them were on the left side of the House of Mirrors, trying to find out if Bou-san had exited earlier than the rest of them and headed in that direction.

No signs of him having come back here. added John. The room looks as if it hasn't been touched since it was cleaned this morning, and all of his belongings remain undisturbed. Masako says the same is with the women's room, nothing's out of place.

 _That's good too. It means he's still here somewhere, and that he didn't leave us._

Naru, did you find anything from the cameras? She looked over at Lin and gave a thumbs up. Naru's reply popped up almost immediately, almost as if he'd been expecting the question.

Nothing. If he left the House of Mirrors, none of the cameras picked it up, and they should have. There was one right across the exit watching the door.

he's still there?

John, I'm talking to Mrs. Kawai right now about getting access to the cameras in the attraction. In the meantime, the staff members there have reported that he's not in any of the corridors or rooms.

"Ugh!" Mai let out a small shout of frustration and clutched her phone hard so she wouldn't throw it. "Where ARE you?"

Some people nearby paused for a few seconds, but then hurried on, probably dismissing her as someone being stood up by her friend, or a date.

 _I wish._ She thought back to the fake dates they'd had in the park and smiled wistfully. _I'd happily go back to then._

"At least we know where he's not," said Lin, putting a positive spin on the fact that they still hadn't found him.

 _True. And I wouldn't have wanted to be with Ayako when she checked._

"If he was in the hospital though, we'd at least know," grumped Mai, leaning against the wall. The coldness of the stone was a nice distraction from the heat of the day, but it also drew her mind to a certain icy cave in Kiryu, and a broken Bou-san sprawled on the ground. She jumped away and starting rubbing her arms.

 _If he was in the hospital though, we'd know how badly he was injured too. What if he's hurt again? Like before... we barely got to him then..._

"I know you're worried about Houshou, but I'm sure he's okay." Lin's voice dropped. "We knew something like this might happen when we split up."

"No, we didn't," snapped Mai, glaring at him.

 _Is it just me, or does is that guilt I see in his eye?_

"We worried it might, but we didn't plan for it, we didn't do enough to make sure everyone would be okay. We just let him go off on his own into a dark room." The flames of regret and guilt rose in her, and she thought she saw them darken Lin's eye. "This is our fault."

 _We should have stayed in our groups. Forced them into letting us go through in pairs. Ignored the rules and spoken to each other on the phone during the whole thing._

Mai dashed away the tears that were slipping from her eyes.

"No, it's not." Lin let out a sigh, looking up briefly to the sky. "It's not our fault, and it's not his fault either. It's something that's happened, and even though none of us wanted anything to happen to him specifically, I'm also sure that we didn't want whatever did occur to happen to anyone else. While we can't go back in time to stop ourselves, what we can do it continue to keep a clear head to uncover what we can now."

 _Lin was waiting for something like this to happen, I'd bet my grades on it._

"He's **not** here, he's **not** at the House of Mirrors, he's **not** back at the hotel, and we haven't been able to find him anywhere else" Mai threw her arms up in the air. "What are we missing? Where else could he be?!"

The only answer to those questions was buried deep in thrilling screams, demands for the next ride, and shouts trying to keep groups together. Lin didn't contribute anything to the auditory chaos around them.

 _Because he doesn't know either._ Mai felt the horror in her grow as she realized that for once, he and Naru weren't steps ahead of everyone else; they were just as lost as the rest of them.

"Let's check behind the booths again," Lin said, the last bit of the sentence covered by the sound of a ringing bell. "It could be something as simple as him moving from an area we didn't cover and being in a place we've already checked."

 _But it's more than that. He's not answering his phone either._

"Should we split up too?" she asked instead, following Lin. The two of them began to make their way to the entrance of the games section, and she took a few steps before realizing that he wasn't keeping up with her. "Lin?"

 _His eye..._

There was a fierceness there that she hadn't seen in months. Hadn't needed to see since autumn.

"If we need to, we will," he said, his grey eye hard, a steel pachinko ball. "But I'm loathe to trade one person's pain for another."

 _... he does think Bou-san's hurt._ Mai opened her mouth to ask, then closed it instead. The feelings of being helpless, the guilt of not being able to prevent this. They were too much. _Not now. I don't want to know. If he thinks that making us split up in the House of Mirrors was done specifically to capture Bou-san, I don't think I could take it._

"How are you holding up?"

The question brought Mai back to the present.

"Honestly..." she managed a sick grin, the motion causing her to cry a little again. "Not good. And I don't want to take a nap."

Lin nodded, the grim look on his face chased away and replaced with something softer. Concern.

"I wasn't going to suggest that. I was going to offer an ear if you need someone to listen, or if you'd like to switch partners and talk with one of the others. Ayako, or possibly Masako. John."

"I noticed you're not saying your favorite person's name," teased Mai through the tears, the thought making her smile a bit.

"There was a reason I agreed with your nickname for Kazuya," Lin said, the amusement clear in his voice. "He would not be my first choice as a shoulder to cry on."

"He has times when he can be sweet," argued Mai, stepping back next Lin. "But... agreed. Not my first choice either."

 _Though... I still want to know more about why he kissed me in the cave. There was more there than just following orders, I'm sure. Was I imagining the emotions behind it?_

"Mai. We'll find Houshou."

 _... I hope so._

Mai flinched as her phone went off again.

Lin. I want you and Masako to meet me at the House of Mirrors. We have permission from Mrs. Kawai to check inside and review the master tapes in the observation room. Everyone else, continue searching for Takigawa-san.

"Naru's worried too," said Mai, glancing at the phone. "Isn't he?"

It wasn't really a question, so she wasn't surprised when Lin didn't say anything. The two of them started walking again, side by side as they reached the entrance of the area, then turning around and staring out. They took it slow, one foot in front of the other, both of them checking the other side to make sure neither of them had been missing anything.

"Who do you wish to be your partner?" His phone was already out, finger at the ready. "I don't want you to be alone."

 _I'll do it if it gets us to Bou-san faster. And if John and Ayako can play bait, so can I!_

"I know you're worried about me as well, but I'll be fine," she said instead, spinning around and putting on a huge smile.

 _Think of something happy, Mai!_ _If it feels fake to you, then it'll look fake to him_.

"I'll keep looking for Bou-san here, where's there's plenty of light and people."

"That didn't answer my question and you know it." Lin stopped in front of a fishing game, glancing over the four people sitting with rods in their hands. Mai chanced a quick look too, then turned to the dart game on her right. Neither of them held their missing monk. "Do I need to wait here to make sure you have a partner?"

"No." Mai stuck out her tongue at him. "I'll ask Osamu for help."

 _If anything out of the ordinary happens, he's most likely to agree on investigating it. Maybe. He's been a little more cautious lately, but he'd still go to help Bou-san._

Lin's lips thinned out and he shook his head.

"He has no offensive capabilities. You'd be better off with either Father John or Ayako as partners." He checked out the basketball shooter on his right while Mai took the time to look over the people lingering near the strongman bell. Still nothing.

 _Or to be more precise, no one. Is it too much to ask for something to be easy once in a while?_

"He's not here," Mai admitted, sighing and rubbing her arms.

"And I have to be leaving as well," added Lin, continuing on the path to leave the games area. From here the House of Mirrors was only about a ten-minute stroll, and with legs as long as Lin's it would probably be cut in half.

"I could come with you," Mai argued, scrambling to keep pace with her friend's stride. "I should just come with you."

"You would give up on looking for Houshou? And annoy Naru in the process?" Lin side-eyed her as they drew to a stop, but Mai found that she couldn't keep his gaze. "As I thought. You would be with us up until you thought you heard Houshou, and then you would bound off down the nearest tunnel. And then we might be looking for you as well."

 _Jerk!_

She glared at him, head cocked to the side and hands on her hips.

 _... to be fair though, I can't really argue with that..._

"I just want to find him," Mai said, letting the anger ebb out of her. As soon as it did worry began to take its place again.

"We all do, and in your case you should be looking around the park." Lin gave her a fond look. "There will be three of us in the House of Mirrors, and I'll be releasing my _shiki_ to do a sweep of the attraction as well. If he's in there, we'll be able to find him, and it would be of no benefit to anyone if you joined us."

 _He has a point... and I really need to learn how to lie better since he always seems to be calling me out._

"I've been a friend to Naru and his brother for years," Lin said, a grin ghosting his face. "They will always lie much better than you, and I've had them as practice."

 _Damn it Lin, stop reading my mind!_

"I guess I'll stay here then," Mai said, looking around at the flowers edging the sides of the walkway.

"I still dislike leaving you on your own. Please team up with Father Brown if you're going to continue searching and exploring any trail you find. He'll also be on his own since Naru and I are borrowing Masako."

 _He's always five steps ahead, isn't he? 'If you're going to continue'... he knows I'll do anything to get Bou-san back, but he phrases it as if I have a choice even as he tells me what to do._

"Never change," Mai said, letting out a gusty sigh and smiling. Then she laughed at the confusion on her friend's face. "Don't worry about it Lin, or about me. I'll wait here for John so we can find missing monk together."

"Good." He paused, then shut his mouth.

 _What else did he want me to say? I already agreed to partner with John..._

"Mai, would you be okay waiting here while I continue on?" There was another slight hesitation. "The sooner I get to the House of Mirrors, the sooner I can set my _shiki_ to work."

"I'll be fine." Mai walked over to a bench and sat down on it, pulling out her phone. "I'll stay right here until John comes, and I promise I'll be keeping my eyes open.

 _Mostly peeled for Bou-san, but also for anyone that looks like trouble._

Mai cocked her head to the side and sent a questioning look to Lin.

"Can't you release them now though? Like when you asked them to search for Bou-san?"

He came a few steps closer to her, choosing to stay standing and leaving the side of the bench empty.

"I could, yes, but it would be best if I was there with my _shiki_. It's one thing for a spirit to search for another spirit, but it's completely different when I need them to search through human-created areas for clues to where a human might have gone, or been taken. The first is something akin to instinct, the second needs a watchful eye and ear to make sure they don't overlook or misread a clue. A perfect example would be them seeing a piece of fabric and telling me that they had found trash."

 _I didn't realize that. I thought he could just order them to do something and they'd be able to do it._ Mai thought about his whistles.

"It's the whistles too! When you can train them, it's with different sounds!"

Lin smiled at her and nodded.

"Exactly. In this case, there is no true 'training' that I can give them since the area and circumstances are different; would always be different in cases such as this. And there are enough people around here that even asking for them to find one spirit out of the bunch would be too hard." He frowned. "One of the few good things about being in a rural area."

"You should leave then." The too of them looked at each other, and Mai colored slightly at her word choice.

 _That... that sounded horrible._

"You know what I meant," she said quickly, opening her phone. "And look, I'm even opening LINE to contact John."

"I wish you both a successful hunt." Lin gave her a slight nod, then turned and left, his long legs leaving Mai alone in the middle of a busy amusement park, surrounded by sweet-scented flowers even as her stomach clenched tighter in stress.

gonna look for Bou at pin join?

The answering beep came immediately, and Mai could easily picture John filled with determination to find their missing monk.

Heading your way now

The ball of worry in her stomach eased off slightly at his remark.

 _We're not going to give up looking for you Bou-san. And we're not going to let what happened to you before happen again._

Mai stayed seated. Under her the bench wasn't comfortable, but it was somewhere she could rest, take some weight off of her feet, and be ready to start again with John showed up. People flowed up and down the path: families, friends, lovers, classmates... everyone was smiling, with the exception of a few wailing toddlers, and several people were laughing. For several minutes she focused on the smells around her, timing breaths in and out to center herself and keep a calm mind. Bou-san had taught her a bit about meditation, and with all the practice she's had lately, she had to be getting better at it.

 _Carefree people. Must be nice._ She took a deep breath and let it out. _Is it because he's missing again? Or because we couldn't figure out the House of Mirrors that I feel so wound up?_

She looked to her left, in the direction of the House and where three more of her family were headed. Earlier had felt... weird. The pressure had somehow kept building up while they'd been inside, but at the same time she hadn't felt the pressure descend on her. It had shifted though, she'd felt that. Shifted away, pursuing someone else.

 _Kinda like toast. Spread the jelly evenly across, but have all the big globs in one area._

"...that's the stupidest analogy I've ever come up with," groaned Mai, shaking her head. "Seriously? Jelly doesn't work like that, and I'm pretty sure physics doesn't either. Don't. Doesn't?"

"Jelly? Are you hungry? And I'm not sure which one is correct either." John's voice was colored with amusement, and it was a life-saver from her thoughts. Mai jumped up from the bench, ran to the side, and charged straight into him, hugging as hard as she could.

"Thinking," she answered, mumbling into his chest as he embraced her back. He smelled like sunshine and soap. "Just thinking."

"Um, okay...?" He patted her back and she giggled at the confusion in his voice.

 _Two for two now, I'm on a roll._

"It's fine, I haven't snapped or anything. My mind was just thinking about what happened earlier." Mai gave John another long squeeze, then let him go. "Okay. It's up to us. Naru, Lin, and Masako are attacking the House of Mirrors, so I thought we could look to see if Bou-san's around the park or not. Lin and I already took care of the games section, but I was thinking of still sticking close by."

"And be here in case they need help," John nodded, already following her train of thought.

 _Thanks for not pointing out that they probably don't need our help._

"It's a good idea," he said, nodding. "Is there a place you want to start first?"

"What I'd like to do it attach a GPS tracker to our missing monk," Mai gave John a tired smile, then pointed to the right. "Make sure we can always find him."

"I..." John rubbed the back of his neck as he took a step in the direction she'd chosen. Like Lin, Mai fell in stride naturally with him, and the two of them started walking. "I can understand the feelings behind that, believe me I do, but in the end, I don't think it's a good idea."

"Why not?" asked Mai, kicking a rock. It skittered over the pavement and into a group of daisies. "We would have already been able to find him-"

"Have you thought about how you'd feel it it was you? Having someone else tracking every place you go, them being able to understand what you're doing, sometimes what you're thinking with every move you make? Would you do the same to all of us? It certainly wouldn't be fair to only ask Houshou to wear one." John let out a long sigh. "Mai, I've been a priest for a long time, and I've heard confessions from thousands of people. The criminals I've talked to, the ones that are out of jail with GPS trackers attached, have felt as if someone was staring at them every second of every minute of the day. They became paranoid, or more paranoid in some cases, convinced that it's more than the GPS, that their wardens are listening to them, or seeing what they see."

Mai stumbled, her eyes growing wider and her mouth hanging open.

"And then many of those people break," John continued, a pinched look on his face.

 _The look of someone who tried their best and it wasn't enough._

She moved a little bit closer to him, slipping her hand into his.

"Mai, these people..." He trailed off, dashing tears away with the edge of his sleeves. "They shatter. It's too much trying to be three steps ahead of those watching while also trying to live the lives they need to as simple human beings."

 _I didn't realize it was that big of a problem._

Mai withdrew her hand and rubbed her left shoulder. " I just... I didn't, didn't realize it was such a bad thing."

"The idea isn't bad," John said, ruffling her hair and giving her a watery smile. "There are more than a few people who owe their lives to their phones' location tracking."

"Too bad Bou-san's not answering his phone," sighed Mai.

The two of them stopped, their jaws opening.

 _...did we check that?!_

"Please tell me we-"

"Calling!" Mai said, whipping out her phone and flicking through her contact list. She held her breath as the phone started to ring.

"Mai."

"Naru, Bou-san's GPS! Can't we find him from his phone's location?"

There was a confirming noise from the other end of the call.

"Yes, we can, and yes we did. As far as we can tell, it's still somewhere here in the building. We'll be looking for it as we retrace Housohu's steps through the maze."

"Oh."

 _Worthless._

"It was a good idea though, thank you," said Naru, his voice uncharacteristically soft. "Mai... I need to hang up. Lin's done training his _shiki_ and we're about to go in."

"Good luck."

"To you and John as well."

Mai hung up, then shook her head sadly at John.

"They've already checked, and they can tell the phone is in the House of Mirrors, but they're not sure exactly where it is."

"So we're back to praying for a miracle then." His smile was gentle. "I'm sure God will hear us, and through our combined efforts we'll be able to find our missing companion."

 _There has to be a better way than just walking around the park._

Mai felt a nudge in her side.

"We'll find him. And we'll be there in whatever way he needs us to be."

 _The more everyone says that we're going to find him, the less I feel we actually will._

John stayed in the lead as they walked, chatting about things Mai found difficult to focus on. She was more intent on scanning every face that passed them, determination firing up her blood.

 _This can't be like Kiryu_ she thought, nodding absently as John smiled. _I don't want to search for him all day and not find him._

"Do you think he's hungry?" she said abruptly, cutting the blonde off mid-sentence. "I don't think we've checked the picnic area yet."

John hummed.

"I think Masako and Osamu already checked it, but even if they have, we should check it again. Houshou might have gone there afterwards."

"Lin said something just like that."

"Then it shows we have a good idea," laughed John, the happiness infecting Mai. She smiled, a small giggle of her own slipping out despite the worry churning in her gut. "Come on, we can be over there in a few minutes, and while we search we'll grab a quick bite. Maybe even get something for the others too."

"We could always call them over," Mai pointed out. "Have a meeting at the same time."

She watched as John considered the idea, and felt a little down when he shook his head no.

 _What are we waiting for? Evidence that Bou-san's been hurt?_

"Let's not reign in our forces just yet. Maybe they'll get lucky and find Houshou over where they are."

 _That's true... we can always have the meeting when it's too dark, if we haven't found him by then._

Mai took a deep breath and shook her head to get rid of the nasty image of her fun-loving, joke-cracking monk lying hurt and cold in the dark.

* * *

 _Wednesday, mid-evening - the Picnic Area_

* * *

Mai blinked. Rubbed her eyes hard enough to leave spots, then opened them too wide and blinked again.

 _There's no way. Absolutely no way we're this lucky._

Nothing she did convinced her that she was seeing an illusion, and to be honest, she didn't want it to be an illusion. Close to the stage, a few tables down from where the mothers had badgered Naru, was Bou-san. His clothes were dirtier than before, and there was a small tear on the back near the collar, but it looked like him.

 _It has to be him._

She hadn't seen another guy here with that long of a ponytail in the back, though she had seen multiple men wearing earrings: hoops, studs, dangling designs like zippers. Ultimately, what convinced her wasn't what she saw with her own eyes. It was John, next to her, muttering a quiet prayer of thanks to his God that proved she wasn't daydreaming.

 _I... He... AGH! If he was here all along while we worried and looked for him I'm going to hit him with Ayako's suitcase! And then I'll let Ayako hit him!_

Mai stomped up to the table, her emotions growing out of control as she took in the coffee cup next to him, and an uneaten corn dog.

"YOU!"

"Mai-" she heard John start to say behind her, but she ignored him, focusing on the flinching monk before her.

"Did you know we've been looking for you!" she shouted, standing across from him and planting her hands on the table. Out of the corner of her eye she could see people staring at them and whispering, but she didn't care. Her eyes were only for the man in front of her. "Do you even care that we thought you were missing, or even worse, hurt?!"

He had been drawing a breath, most likely to defend himself, but Mai could see that her last remark had hit home. His eyes grew dull and she felt a twinge of guilt as he kind of... crumpled in on himself.

 _It's okay everything's okay but it hurts it hurts so bad it's so good to see him and everything feels as if I'm choking_...

"Houshou, it's good to see you again," said John, his voice an even kneel through Mai's emotionally thick thoughts. He slipped into a seat across from their friend, then gestured for Mai to sit down between the two of them. It took her a few seconds to force her body to move, and she banged her knee under the table as she sat down. "What happened? I thought we were meeting up after the House of Mirrors?"

We were-" _Ow!_ Mai turned to John and glared at the innocent-looking blonde. _You didn't need to kick me!_

"I'm sorry," Bou-san said, rubbing the back of his neck and not meeting either of their gazes. "I lost my phone somewhere, and I thought I could find it before we all got out, but when I went back no one was there and I still didn't have my phone and it all just..." he trailed off. "I'm sorry. For everything."

 _... ugh. I can't be mad when he's apologizing for making us worry._ Her stomach gave a sharp pang of hurt, so she rubbed it, pushing to loosen up the knots that didn't want to come loose. _Fine. I can be mad, but it physically hurts as it turns to guilt._

"You could have gone back to the hotel and had them call us," John pointed out. "I'm sure they have our numbers in their system. And if they couldn't reach Naru, then at least they would have been able to leave a message at the attraction."

"I didn't even think of that," groaned Bou-san, slumping even more and holding his head in his hands. "Fuck... I'm always fucking up, I'm sorry. No matter what I do, it's the wrong choice."

 _Crap. Now I feel doubly bad for yelling at him. Triply. I didn't realize he would take us worrying so hard._

"It's fine," said Mai, drawing dubious looks from both of them. She sighed loudly, directed a glare at John, then finished up with one for Bou-san. "I was worried. We were all worried. You can't just disappear like that. What if someone had taken you? Or if you were hurt again?"

Bou-san's face contorted, switching between a grimace and what looked like a laugh.

 _Why would he find that funny?_

"Ah." John brought out his phone and started typing into it. "We should tell the others."

Mai opened up her phone to see the impending explosion, and was not left unsatisfied.

We found Houshou.

The replies came in immediately.

now? where? send a pin!

Thank the spirits.

Good to hear that you're back with us Houshou. We'll try to find your phone.

Monk I'm gonna kill you for making me worry!

Takigawa, I want a report before midnight. Everyone else, stay off the main channel and send private messages if you need to, we're in the middle of something delicate.

"I'm sending the others a pin." John tapped his screen a few times, then gave each of them a grin. "Done."

"And you're going to have to deal with Ayako yourself," added Mai, sticking out her tongue. "I'm not getting between her and anything she's going to throw at you."

Bou-san made as if to stand up, but when he looked at John, he sat back down. Heavily. She could feel the table shudder at the sudden weight. "Mai. John. Just... thanks for looking for me. The two of you."

 _Why would he even say that?_

"Always," said Mai, her voice breaking on the word. She saw John's worried look and gave a small nod.

 _Does he really think we wouldn't have? That's... that's heartbreaking._

"You'll have to add some others to that list," John said, clearing his throat. "We all care for you, so we were all looking. And you don't need to thank us. You'd do the same if it was us."

Houshou nodded, then reached out. With two fingers he pushed the corn dog over to John, giving the blonde a shaky grin.

"I know you like these things, so it's all yours. I'm not really hungry enough to eat it anyway." He let out a long sigh. "What's the plan for the evening, anyhow?"

 _I thought Bou-san ate pretty much anything we put in front of him. I mean, he always ate the burnt cookies I made for Valentine's Day. Maybe he's getting sick?_

"We're going to have to call a meeting." John took the corn dog and stared at it. Bit. Chewed and swallowed. "Find out what the others have discovered in the House of Mirrors. Naru said to keep off the main channel since they were doing something delicate. Depending on that we might have new plans for the next few days."

"Hopefully they'll find out that the ghost was in the House all along and we can all leave," added Houshou, picking at the skin around his nails.

 _... does he normally do that?_ Mai frowned. _I don't remember._

"This is a great place to stay and recover though," she protested, her brain registering his words. "Even if the case is solved, it would be great if we could stay here and hang out. Go on the rides without having to worry about pressures. Enjoy the food on Naru's budget. Maybe shoot each other with lasers."

John laughed at that and Houshou let out a weak chuckle, his left hand drumming on the table's top.

"Naru's not the type of person to treat us after the case's solved." He paused. "Nor during it either."

"True," said John, joining in after swallowing another bite of corndog. "But apparently if you have Lin's ear, then it's easier to get money out of him."

Mai and John snickered at that, but as they trailed off she realized that they were the only two laughing. Bou-san was staring off into the distance, his shoulders hunched over as if he was trying to protect himself from them.

 _He's not acting like himself again. What happened? Did he really lose his phone?_

"Bou-san, are you okay?" Mai asked bluntly, leaning across the table to look him in the eyes. "You're acting weird."

And with those words his posture straightened immediately. He sat up straight, the picture-perfect image of a monk at meditation, and a smile on his face.

 _It's wrong. That's the strangest smile I've ever seen, it looks out of place on him. There must be something else, something that he's hiding._

"I'm fine," he answered, waving a hand as if to brush the question away. "Completely fine. I promise."

Neither John nor Mai looked at each other.

 _If I look at John I'm going to burst into laughter, and it'll be the nervous, weird kind. Bou-san is not in a good spot right now and it's apparent to everyone._

"Okay!" said Mai. She forced a smile onto her face, and made it widen until it hurt. She looked up, but didn't raise her gaze above his collar. It was easier to concentrate on the color of his shirt than it was to try and look him in the eyes. "I trust you Bou-san."

There was a sharp intake of breath, and a small, choked need for air.

 _I don't like using trust as a dagger, but you're leaving me no choice._

"And I know," she continued, keeping her voice low and cheerful at the same time, "that if something was wrong you'd tell us. Your friends and family. Because we're here for you, no matter what happens in the future nor what happened in the past."

Next to her John gave a little hum, and if she slid her eyes to the side, she could see his hands folded into prayer underneath the table, hidden. Mai drew in a deep breath, steadied her heart, then looked up at Bou-san, keep his gaze and not letting her eyes waver from the monk's.

 _He needs to know that we know and it's okay to tell us that he's hurting!_

He, with a firm jaw and a colder cast to normally warm honey eyes, he didn't look away either.

 _Are you seriously going to keep lying to us?!_

They kept at it, almost as if both of them could see into the other's soul if they tried hard enough. The monk was the first to crack, looking away to offer a lopsided smile and open palms.

"Like I said, everything's fine. Or at least, everything will be," he amended. "Starting with me having my phone back."

 _Bou-san... no. I'm not putting up with this again!_

Mai straightened her shoulders and opened her mouth to deliver a sharp lecture about lying to family.

"Hey there!" came Ayako's voice. The three of them turned to see her and Osamu coming into the picnic area, and with the addition of the rest of their group, Mai swallowed the bitter words on her tongue.

 _I'll talk to him tonight, before we go to bed._

"You could have told us which table you were sitting at." Ayako gave the group a wave as she and Osamu took a seat at the open spots on the bench, the ones on the left side of Bou-san. "And you. Where's your phone? I was worried when you didn't answer it."

Houshou shrugged, offering up a sheepish grin.

"Not my fault, but I think it's still in the House of Mirrors... I guess this means I'm going to have fifty missed messages and calls."

"You deserve no less," Osamu chimed it, throwing a kiss to the older man. "I hope your phone blows up on you due to so much mail. Mai. John. Thank you so much for finding him!"

John shook his head, unclasping his hand and bringing them back above the table.

"We got lucky. Apparently Houshou's been searching for us as well, and we all kept passing each other as we walked."

 _...I don't feel as if that's what happened, but unless he got away from someone in the middle of our search, I can't imagine anything else. And if he had been kidnapped, then he would have said something._

"You've seen the messages, right?

Mai turned to at Ayako's question to John.

"Yes?"

"Then you probably agree that we're not going to be having a meeting until late tonight, right?"

 _Where is this line of questioning leading?_

"I don't think so," said John, shaking his head. "I mean, I don't think they'll be a meeting until later tonight, yes, you're right."

"Then Houshou and I are going to head over to the Maze," Ayako announced, grabbing on to the monk's startled arm. "I want to introduce him to someone."

"Who?" asked Bou-san warily, drawing back a bit as if to escape. Mai noticed that Ayako's grip became tighter and that Osamu moved a little bit further down the seat so that he was closer, and more able to cut the monk off if he started running away.

 _What's making him so wary?_

"I think that'll be a great idea," beamed John. "You two can go do that, and the three of us will look around the park."

"For what?"

"For the pinching ghost." John shrugged at Osamu. "Unless you have a better idea than waiting here to see if Naru and the others need us."

"I could use a nap, actually," said Mai, yawning and stretching. "Especially right now, when there's nothing to invade my dreams and give me nightmares."

 _Something that I couldn't, wouldn't do when Bou-san, was missing."_

"If you're going to do that, then I've changed my mind. I wouldn't mind going back to the hotel and consulting my Bible," John said, standing up. He gestured to Osamu. "Joining us?"

 _Not like it's really a question._

Osamu nodded.

"We'll see you both when you get back to the hotel," he said, waving goodbye to Ayako and Bou-san. The older couple stood at the table for a few more minutes as the three of them got up. John was first, tossing his corn dog stick into the trash as he waited for Mai and Osamu, but then the three of them were walking along the flowered pathways.

"What are you looking for? That you said you had to look up?"

John jolted, then waved his hand in front of his face as a blush heated up his cheeks.

"Sorry about that. It was a white lie to let Ayako take Houshou with her, and for none of us to tag along."

"Why?" asked Mai. "Shouldn't we go with them? And shouldn't we let Ayako know that Bou-san's acting strange?" Mai glared at her fellow student as he opened his mouth to protest. "Come on. You felt it too!"

"I'm hoping that we can talk to Naru first, before Houshou gets back and before the meeting," explained John, rubbing the back of his head. "I wasn't... exactly lying. I do have some psalms I want to look up. However, I wanted a chance to discuss the possibility of Houshou not keeping to the promise agreed upon."

"Damn. You think so too?" asked Osamu, taking off his glasses and rubbing them with his sleeve.

"I knew something was wrong. I'm with you, John."

 _It's the right thing to do. He made a promise to tell us if he needed help, and he's clearly not doing that._

"Let's hope Naru and the others finish early enough for a pre-meeting meeting then."

 _And that we can get Bou-san to open up._


	9. I Can Pretend I'm Fine (Bou's POV)

**Disclaimer** : I don't own Ghost Hunt in any way, shape, or form. I just like to play with the characters.

 **Warnings** : The violence and injury descriptions have started - you've been warned (don't like, don't read).

 **Author Note** : Take care of yourselves out there

* * *

 _Wednesday, evening - Carnival Theme Park_

* * *

 _They're up to something_. Houshou watched as Mai, Osamu, and John walked away, the three of them heading back to the hotel. _I can feel it. Or am I being paranoid and worried over nothing?_ He fiddled with his ear, pinching the flesh but not touching the new earring he had. _No, there's everything to worry about._

"Are you okay?" Ayako's concerned face came into view.

"I just want to go back to and sleep," groaned Houshou. _Sleeping's good. I can't hurt anyone if I'm sleeping, and that'll make the clock tick down even quicker._

"We will eventually," she promised, looking him over. "Is that a bruise?"

"Where?" Houshou sucked in a sharp breath as Ayako pushed a small area of his forehead. "Ow."

"It is. What did you do to get a bruise there?"

 _Fight a ghost? Fight some asshole yakuza? Punch a mirror?_ Immediately he looked down to his knuckles. They were also turning darker, bruising, and _is that blood?_ Houshou shoved his hands into his pants pockets.

"Guess I hit something in the House of Mirrors."

 _True enough._

She stared at him, looking deep into his eyes. Houshou couldn't, didn't blink.

"Okay. I worry about you, you know? You have a tendency to take on everything, and you don't let us help."

His heart hurt at the soft smile on her face.

 _I can't tell her anything. I can't let them get to my family._

"I know." He bumped her with his shoulder. "You worry too much. And there's no need, I can handle things."

"I know," she retorted, teasing him. "Come on though. I really do want to introduce you to someone at the Maze."

"Your creepy guy?" Houshou laughed as she hit him on the arm. "Okay, okay, mercy! If not him or anyone at SPR, who?"

Ayako took his hand and began to lead him out of the picnic area. They began moving past the games, the loud noises making their voices warp in and out.

"You're going to have to trust me," she finally said, ducking her head and looking away from him.

 _And she's up to something too._ Houshou immediately shook his head, trying to get the paranoia to leave. _No. Stop thinking like that. And even if she, or the others, are doing something you don't know about it doesn't mean they're doing anything to hurt you. They're your family above all, they're your friends before they're your enemies._

He let out a long sigh, but waved a hand telling Ayako to ignore it when she arched an eyebrow at him. They kept walking, his hand closed around hers, the slight scent of her perfume keeping him grounded in reality.

 _Wait... Naru and the others are taking on the ghost at the House of Mirrors. Should I say something to them? I can use Ayako's phone to explain what happened and what might be waiting for them._ Almost as the thought crossed his mind, more crowded in to change it. _But then I'd have to explain why I left without helping the others. It… shouldn't matter, if I don't tell them. It's Naru, Lin, and Masako after all, they'll be able to handle themselves._ He felt heat creep up his neck. _And they don't need to know about the mirror._

"...what's on your mind? You seem pretty far from here."

Houshou blinked, jostled from his thoughts. The man-made section of the park was behind them now, and they were surrounded by high green walls dotted with flowers of all shapes and colors. The sunlight was diluted here by the trellises that arced from one side to the other, with roses dominating the top canopy.

 _A way out of this mess_.

"Nah, nothing really." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, I feel weird without my phone, and I never want to go back to the House of Mirrors, but that's about it. Nothing new, nothing wrong."

 _Lying's fine as long as I don't get caught. As soon as the three days have passed, I can get rid of this damn equipment and it'll all be behind me. I've just gotta make it until then, and that means they can't know what's going on. Be quiet, Houshou. Cautious, and full of your usual laughter._

He realized he'd waited a moment too long when Ayako began to slow down.

 _Change the topic now!_

"What's on your mind that you're dragging me here?" he asked, giving her hand a squeeze.

"When I was here before, I was able to speak to one of the tree spirits," Ayako said, a warm smile lighting her face.

 _She's so beautiful._

Houshou concentrated on how her red hair glowed in the setting sun. It framed her face in soft flames, and for a split second it looked as if she was on fire, or that he was looking through fire to see an autumn beauty. The monk did a double-take, and in the action the fire slipped away to illuminate the flowers behind her.

 _Intelligent. Kind. Badass._

"Well, the spirit said that I should bring you by so you can talk with her too."

 _I don't deserve her._

"Wait, what?" He stopped, stumbling forward as she kept going. Thankfully he caught himself before splatting against the ground, or taking her with him. "I'm going to be talking to this spirit?"

 _Wait a second... they're seeing everything that's happening, so what would happen if I fell and the camera broke?_

"That's the point," Ayako said, breaking into his thoughts. She pulled on his hand, tugging him in the direction she wanted to go. "The spirit's pretty nice! She'll try talking to you directly first, but if that doesn't work out then she'll talk to you through me."

 _I can think of a hundred things that can go wrong with "accidentally" breaking their equipment._ Houshou kept his lips pressed firmly together though. _And no matter if it looks or sounds stupid, Ayako really wants me to do this, so..._

"How did you meet this spirit?" he asked as they continued walking. It was a little creepy at night. Most of the people were gone from this area of the park, probably hanging out in the picnic area or over by the games. Maybe even having dinner at the cafe. Somewhere away from the encroaching darkness held back by only a few lights.

"It was easy. I made it to the center of the Maze, like we will, and I found a huge oak tree. When I complimented the tree on its beauty, she spoke up. We chatted for the rest of the night," her smile wavered here, "until I found that strange guy."

 _He'd better hope I don't find him._ An inner voice asked him what he would do—threaten the guy? Hurt him? As a park employee, he would tell Mrs. Kawai, and then she would tell Naru. _And then you'd be thrown off the case, left alone to be the broken man you are._

Houshou shook his head.

"I hope we don't run into him," he said to his girlfriend's questioning face. _Heh—my girlfriend. I could get used to that._

The two of them twisted their way into the maze, brushing against flowers that released sweet puffs and giggling as the fairy lights changed their coloring. Weirdly enough, the blue lighting suited Ayako nicely while the green made Houshou look better, or at least better than pink, yellow, or blue did.

"You're handsome," Ayako said, cupping his face with a palm. "Thank you."

"For what? Having great features?" Houshou quipped, a half-smile on his face.

 _You know they're watching you. Recording you. And you're showing them who to hurt first._

"Thank you for trusting me," she said seriously, stopping to look him in the eyes. "You didn't have to come out here, but you did because I asked you to."

Houshou thought he heard something in his ear, a tinny noise, but he resisted flinching.

 _Probably my imagination anyhow. If they can talk to me I'm sure they would have before now, just to show that they can._

He smiled at Ayako, the action taking more effort than he'd ever felt; there was even a slight tremble at the edges.

 _Please don't see how hard I'm forcing this..._

She didn't. Or if she did, then she didn't let on. Instead Ayako smiled back, her eyes crinkling in happiness and the grin on her face kindling a small warmth in him.

"Let's keep going," she said. "We're almost to the tree."

He knew she was right about that. The top of the tree had been looming over them for the past half-hour, and it had subtly been getting closer, even if they hadn't popped into the area yet. It only took a few more twists, a couple more turns, for Ayako to lead him into the middle of the maze where the oak was at home.

"Wow..."

"Right?!" Ayako's voice was light and excited, reminding him of John's kids at the orphanage. He let her pull him, but held back a little when she went to put his palm onto the bark of the tree.

 _Is this ghost going to see into my head? Are they going to make everything more difficult?_

"I was hoping you'd try talking to her first," Ayako explained, her head cocked sideways as she looked at him. "This is how I met her, by placing my hand on her tree trunk."

"Touch matters, huh?"

 _Not like I can get out of this, so here goes nothing._

Houshou took his open left hand and placed it against the tree. Silence.

"Hello? Ghost? Ayako said you wanted to have words with me?" He snickered as she slapped him on the arm at that remark, but since it wasn't too far from the truth, she didn't hit that hard. "Huh. Not hearing anything."

He looked over at his girlfriend just in time to see her smile become suddenly wider.

"She's here and she's talking to me!" Then her face fell. "I guess you can't hear her then."

"Nope." Houshou shook his head

"And I'm going to have to be the translator." Her face showed she wasn't too thrilled with the job, but he knew she wasn't going to back out because of that.

"Yeeep."

 _On the plus side, that should mean I'll be able to keep things to myself._

"Fine. Should we go up into the branches?" Ayako was already moving her purse from her shoulder. "You first."

Houshou looked up at the tree, craning his neck to see where they would be sitting. It was a little hard to see due to the sun setting and the leaves obscuring most of his vision. His muscles ached at the thought.

"Aren't we too old to be climbing trees like kids? We could just sit with it at our backs."

"We could..." Ayako trailed off, then she flashed him a smile that rippled through him. "But that's no fun. Trust me, I climbed it earlier and there's a branch at a perfect height to sit at. Up you go."

 _Right._

"Unless you think you're not healed enough?"

 _Shit. She, they, can't think that._

Houshou shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"Good try. I've healed enough and you know it." He looked away and eyeballed the tree. A short jump near the bottom root got him high enough to snag the limb, then it was just a matter of pulling himself up so that he could sit on the branch. As soon as he was settled, Ayako looped a giant knot with her purse's strap and joined him.

"Scoot over a little bit more?"

He did, and she settled in next to him, the warmth of her body brushing against his side.

"Right! So, Houshou, this is Oak. Oak, this is Houshou, the man I talked to you about."

"Already spreading tales about me, huh?" laughed the monk. He stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you."

His face paled a little when a cold wind bit into his fingertips.

 _I didn't think Ayako was making things up, but it's always a little creepy knowing there's a ghost you can't see nearby._

"So, she says she has some questions for you if you don't mind."

 _I still don't have a choice about this_.

"Sure, shoot." He waited, trying to keep relaxed by looking out of the branches and watching as the lights twinkled around them. Ayako shifted next to him, then nodded, letting out a small noise of confirmation. "Okay, she says she's going to ask you five questions instead of the ten she originally wanted. I told her before that you had been injured before, and she wants to make sure you get enough sleep tonight."

 _Nice ghost._ Houshou grinned. _Wish the others we met were like that._ He remembered the kids from the classroom, high up on the mountain. _Or maybe not. That can be hard to deal with too._

"Okay, what's the first question?"

"She wants to know what you most fear."

Houshou's smile slipped a little.

"That's... not the easiest to answer, but I'll try my best." He cleared his throat. "There are a few things that I fear. One of them would be to lose Ayako." He looked over at her, then snickered a little at the dark blush on her face. "Besides that—"

 _NO! They're listening! You can't tell them what you fear or they'll use that to hurt you!_ _How the fuck did you forget!?_

Houshou cleared his throat, then rubbed nervously at his ear.

"Right now though, it would be losing the peace and health I've just gotten back after Kiryu." He took a deep breath, then let it out, feeling the incoming headache pull back a little bit. "I don't know if she told you, but when we were out there, I was kidnapped, taken and tortured to within a hair's split of my life." He let his worry show in the trembles of his voice, and in turn he felt her hand gently cover his.

 _I hope that carried through the camera. I need to give them something else that they can use against me instead of Ayako._

"So, right now, that's my greatest fear." He turned away, not wanting to see the look of pity that was directed at him.

"She's sorry you had to go through that, and she hopes you continue to get well." There was a slight cough. "Um, her second question is this. Does-" She broke off and shook her head. "No! I don't want to ask him that!"

 _Is she embarrassed about the question?_

Ayako was whispering short, sharp words to the spirit, but they were low enough that Houshou couldn't catch them.

"Fine!" She didn't look at him as she relayed the second question. "Does Ayako make you happy?"

 _Yes, always._ He took a deep breath, well aware of the need to be cautious.

"She makes me duck and cover when she's hitting me with her purse," laughed Houshou, rubbing Ayako on the back. "But that also makes me smile, so that counts, right?"

Ayako waited a few seconds, then nodded.

 _Are her eyes glinting in the light?_ He tried to study her closer, but it was too dark to see if there were tears in her eyes. _Shit. Did I just make her cry?_

"Really?! But I don't..." there was a pause, then she nodded, sneaking small peaks at Houshou. "She wants to know if you'll protect me and take care of me."

"Always," promised the monk, setting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing it lightly.

 _And fuck those guys if they come for you—I"ll be ready for them!_

"She also wants to know if you find me..." Ayako trailed off, then resumed speaking with a heavy sigh. "Loud. Obnoxious. Harsh."

Each word came out forced and heavy. He sat there, listening to the sound of her breathing.

 _She's worried... and judging by how she's gulping down air, I'll bet someone somewhere actually called her those horrible things and meant it._

Houshou inched closer to her and took her hand. He traced her ring finger, trailing down until he got to the back of her hand, then went up again.

"Ayako. You're not harsh. You're not obnoxious." Houshou's lips twisted into a wry grin. "I can't argue that we can both be loud—" there was a choked laugh at that, so he continued, "but that's both of us. If you're ever harsh to us, it's because you're acting like an antiseptic, a person who's still helping even if it hurts. If you're ever obnoxious to me, it'll be because I'm not in the right frame of mind to enjoy your sense of humor and amusement." He took in a quick breath, wanting to keep talking and explaining.

 _Please don't let this be a mistake._

"I love you. All of you. There's no one else I'd rather be in a tree talking to a ghost with, or being slapped by after I dug through their purse."

Ayako laughed at that, then covered her mouth. He could tell she was still grinning.

"I love you. Sorry, but you can't change that." He gave her hand a squeeze before letting go. "I'm not letting you go."

 _And I'll die before I let anything happen to you._

She was crying now; he could hear it in her hiccups, see it in the way she wiped at her eyes.

"There is, ah, one last question," she said, smiling at him. "And this is really from the both of us."

 _Last one, almost home free!_

"Lay it on me."

Ayako turned and nodded, then faced Houshou again.

"She wants to know what it would take for you to lie to me."

 _...for fuck's sake!_

His mouth dropped open a little bit, and Ayako rushed the last of the question.

"And I want to know, truthfully, how you're doing. You were acting a little strange earlier and I'm worried about you. Especially with whatever happened in the House of Mirrors."

 _I can't let her find out I can't let her find out I can't—_

Houshou huffed.

"I'm fine."

 _She doesn't look convinced at that._ He cleared his throat and looked away, toward the safe, blinking lights.

"I can promise that I'm fine right now. Things... things could be better. I'll admit that."

 _So much better._

"But for everything that's happening now? With me? With you? With this place?" He waved a hand at the grounds underneath them. "I'm fine."

 _I have to be._

She waited a few seconds, then shook her head in a sad, disappointed way.

"You're lying."

"What?!"

 _How the hell can she tell?_

"She says you're lying. What happened earlier Houshou? Why did you leave without us? Why don't you have your phone? Why is there a bruise on your forehead? Did you have a flashback?"

 _...Lin in a jail cell, John captured, to be used and abused. Ayako looked at him in disgust, dripped too much blood, covered in layered shades of red and brown..._

"No," he choked out, knuckling his eyes until the visions from the yakuza and the spirit had left. "Not flashbacks."

 _Just future visions and threats about what will happen to you, to all of you._

"Then what happened?" she pressed, almost as if she was sensing weakness. Houshou groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

 _I'm in a tree, I'm outside, I'm okay_.

Except he wasn't. The world was closing in on him, crushing him, trapping him, and he couldn't get enough air enough oxygen he couldn't breathe.

"Move," he gasped, reaching for the tree trunk on Ayako's left.

"Houshou, talk to me." Cold hands touched him, leaving ice on his cheeks, his forehead, and his shoulders.

"Please-"

"No." Her voice softened. "I'm here for you, and I'm not moving until you tell me what's wrong."

 _I can't!_

His heart was pounding in his ears, warping Ayako's voice and erasing most of her words.

"Please," he begged, every fiber in his being screaming at him to get away. "Let me down."

She didn't move. Wouldn't move. So he moved. And thudded onto the ground, collapsing instantly as his ankle screamed in pain.

 _FUCK!_

"Houshou!"

"I'm. Fine!" He shouted back, cupping his hands over his ankle. It was just pain and he knew how to deal with pain.

 _Need to get away need to get away before something else happens.._

"I just, I need." He stopped, aware of how high-pitched his voice was.

 _Breathe. I need to breathe._

"I need some air."

"Wait for me, you don't have a phone!"

"I'll see you at the hotel!" he called over his shoulder, already limping away from the tree, from the spirit.

 _From Ayako, who's only trying to help_.

"I can't. I fucking can't." He limped angrily toward the exit, which was thankfully clearly marked.

 _Of course everything has to go to hell, I'm involved, aren't I?_

"Hey, Bou. Stop."

 _Fuck_.

He froze, taking in the man standing in front of him.

 _He called me by my profession, he has to be a part of that gang… wait. Is that the same guy Ayako was talking about being creepy?_

Everything checked out. The same hair, the same cheekbones. He'd made a point of taking note of the man's features during their lunch, and there was no question about who was standing before him now.

"Who were you talking to in that tree? The woman you were speaking to kept mentioning someone else."

 _Fuck. He's part of them_.

Houshou straightened himself, trying to keep most of the weight off of his ankle even as he settled into a defensive stance.

"I didn't tell anyone about your group, so why do you care?"

The man stepped forward and ducked under the raised arms; Houshou felt himself jerked off balance by a hand wrapped around the fabric by his collar.

"Clear your ears out, old man, and listen up. You answer what I tell you to. Don't give me any smart ass remarks."

 _Go sit and spin on a cactus._

"You're kidding." Houshou jerked back and tore himself away, landing on his butt with a jolt. He glared at his attacker, knowing exactly how vulnerable and completely open to attacks he was.

 _I'm screwed._

"I'm already doing everything you assholes have demanded of me, and now you're asking for more?"

"She said there was a spirit. Who was it?"

"Fuck you."

A foot kicked him in the knee, the same one the spirit had targeted earlier, and Houshou jammed his wrist into his mouth.

 _Scream and she'll come running_.

"Answer me. What 'spirit' were you talking to?" There was a pause. "What was her name?"

"I don't-" Houshou started to say, but he was kicked again. "I don't know! It's a spirit housed in a tree."

 _And why the hell do you care so much?_

"Houshou? Is that you? Are you still here?"

He froze as Ayako's voice wafted over the top of the hedges.

 _Shit._

"Give me your hand!" hissed the man, bending down.

 _Wha? Why?_

He didn't have any more time to think about it. Even as he heard Ayako's steps near the exit, his attacker grabbed him by the wrist and tried to pull him back onto his feet. Instead, the two of them tumbled head over heels, Houshou groaning as he lay on top.

"What happ-" her voice went from concerned to suspicious when she saw who else was there. "You. This is the third time we've run into each other."

"So sorry I work here," the younger man answered. "And silly me, I was trying to help."

 _Help yourself you mean._

Houshou snorted at that. Ayako looked between the two of them, then sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Right. Let me get you two on your feet again. And then, since you're being so kind and helpful," the twist she gave those words would have been obvious to a small child, "you can help Houshou up since I think he damaged his ankle."

He rolled a little bit to his side so the man could get to his feet, ignoring Ayako's outstretched hand.

"What's your name, anyway?" asked Houshou, watching the younger man warily. "We know you work in the cafe, so don't lie about it."

"Ichiro." He loomed over Houshou, and the monk had to resist giving the finger. "You're part of the spirit detectives Mrs. Kawai hired."

 _Spirit detectives sounds like a kid's anime._

"Psychic researchers."

Ayako and Ichiro reached out to grab Houshou's hands, but when they pulled him up, it didn't take too long to realize that his right leg wasn't going to hold him.

 _Of fucking course._

"I need a place to sit,* he said, panting with the effort of getting to his feet. "Just for a few minutes."

 _Then maybe I'll be able to limp to bed._

"There's a bench over there," Ichiro said, pointing with his thumb. "I'll help you over. And, if you don't mind, I have a question."

 _What if I do mind?_ He didn't say it though. That would alert Ayako that something wasn't right with Mr. Cafe Worker, more than what she thought. Instead, Houshou draped an arm over Ichiro's shoulder and squeezed the first handful of muscle he could.

Ichiro gave him a dirty look, and Houshou mouthed the words "don't hurt her." No matter that the boy was part of the yakuza, he wasn't stupid. He nodded at the message, and then Ayako was under Houshou's other arm, making sure that he was balanced between the two of them.

Several swear words later, along with a few sharp comments about needing to lose weight, the three of them were sitting side by side on the bench.

 _Can I just be done hurting? Done with all of this? And what does he want?_

"Are you two going to be able to get back to the hotel?" Ichiro wiped sweat off his forehead. "He wasn't able to walk at all. I can get a guest wheelchair, or help you back, or something."

 _What the hell?_ _ **Now**_ _he's being friendly? I'm sure I didn't dream up him kicking me when I was down._

"I want to see your ankle." Ayako was already in doctor mode, kneeling on the ground and taking Houshou's right foot into her hands.

"I'm fine."

That statement earned an incredulous look from his girlfriend and a sharp laugh from the extortionist.

 _Yeah, okay, that was a stupid comment._

"I'm not dealing with your delusions right now."

He flinched as Ayako started to remove his shoe.

"And you had a question Ichiro?"

The younger man nodded, then cleared his throat.

"I was in the maze when I happened to overhear the two of you talking in the tree." There was a pause. "To a ghost?"

"Do you believe in ghosts?" asked Ayako. The shoe was removed at this point, sitting to the side, and now she was gently moving Houshou's foot in different directions. He gripped the back of the bench and bit his lip.

"I want to."

"Why?" The question slipped from Houshou, which was then followed by a gasp of pain.

"Because there's someone I miss very much, and even if they came back as a ghost, it would be amazing to talk to them again."

 _...shit. The cafe worker who "saved" his kid sister. Is this jackass him?_

He traded looks with Ayako, who, from her wide eyes, had just reached that conclusion as well.

 _Least I don't feel too much like an idiot for not realizing it sooner._

Ichiro was quiet for a few seconds, his head hanging down between his legs, and Houshou had to fight against the empathy rolling through him.

 _He's with some nasty people and doing some nasty things—he's lost any reason for others to feel sorry for him._

"I don't know if she's your little sister," Ayako was saying, sitting between Houshou and the kid. Her hand rubbed his back, and if it wasn't for everything else, the night would have been great.

 _Except I still don't understand what happened in the House of Mirrors, my ankle feels broken, damn kid kicked my knee pretty hard, and I'm being threatened through my friends by the local thugs._

"She didn't tell me if she used to answer to another name, but, as hard as it might hurt to hear, I don't think she's your sister."

Ichiro sucked in a sharp breath.

 _Welcome aboard the pain train kid._

"She's told me that her feelings have come from watching people here," Ayako explained. Out of the corner of his eye, Houshou could see that she was rubbing the kid's back too.

 _She's too good for me._

"And there are many spirits that make their homes in trees, especially the size and age of the oak tree in the maze. I think, if she was truly your sister, she would have tried to tell you, somehow."

 _At least I was able to communicate with Naru directly. Kiryu would have been a lot different if he hadn't been able to understand me._

"That... that makes sense." Ichiro took a deep breath, then wiped at his eyes. "Thanks... thanks for telling me, and not leading me on."

"Yeah, keeping secrets from people is terrible," Houshou said, pinning the kid with a glare. It dissipated when Ayako elbowed him.

"Quiet, Mr. 'I'm Fine.' You don't have room to talk." Her smile dropped a little bit as she looked down at his leg. "He's right though. If you can't walk a few feet, we're going to need a wheelchair."

"It's-" Houshou stopped.

 _Naru's going to find out anyway._

"Yes?"

He sighed.

 _And if I don't agree with this, he'll use that against me._

"It's a good idea," Houshou grumbled, rolling his eyes. "I could do it, but it'll be faster."

 _I hate admitting I'm weak._

"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" She turned away from him. "Ichiro, how do we get a wheelchair?"

"There are a couple of ways. First is simple; walk up to the information desk near the picnic area and request one. You'll check it out there, then return it at the hotel. I could go get one, but as a staff member I have to fill out more paperwork, and it's supposed to be for use in an actual emergency, like needing to take the person to a clinic, or a hospital."

"Which means I'll need to go grab one." Ayako stood up, slinging her purse over her shoulder. "You two gonna be okay by yourselves?"

 _No._

"Absolutely," said Houshou.

"Then—" Ayako's voice was cut off as her phone began to ring. "Naru? Sorry, I haven't been looking at LINE. John told you I was with Houshou? Yeah, he's right here."

Houshou took the phone and held it up to his ear.

 _Why does Naru want to talk with me?_

"What's up Naru?"

"We think we found your phone."

 _Shit. Did I delete everything from it?_

"Great!" Houshou paused. "Wait. You said 'think,' didn't you."

"You haven't been the only person to lose their phone in the House of Mirrors this week. I need your passcode."

"Um... how about we come up and grab it?" offered the monk. "Ayako and I are by the Maze but, we can be up there in about ten, fifteen minutes."

"Houshou, why would it take you that long to return here when the average time would be around five to ten minutes?"

 _Fuck._

"My ankle's complaining that I overdid it, and I agreed with Ayako that I should use a wheelchair to get back to the hotel tonight."

 _Close enough to the truth._

"Let me speak to her."

Houshou sighed, handing back the phone.

"What? No, I didn't have to badger him, he admitted on his own that it would be a good idea."

Ichiro leaned closer, and suddenly the scent of cigarettes was overpowering the nearby flowers.

"You don't really have a good rep, do you?"

"You're one to talk kid."

"Hey."

Houshou didn't look over at the whisper, pretending instead that he hadn't heard anything.

"She's nice." That whisper had him turning to look, but a not so gentle hand on his back didn't allow him to turn.

 _Why is he doing that?_

Instead, he turned his head, and there was light enough from the poles that he could make out what Ichiro mouthed to him. "No worries."

 _What does that mean?_

The sentiment must have echoed in his eyes because Ichiro inched even closer, his voice low.

"I'll be happy to keep my eyes on her. Out of all the others, I wouldn't hurt her if I needed to bring her in."

"How the hell can I trust you?" The words were full of anger, almost hissed by combining the need to keep them quiet in spite of the pure fury rising in him.

"That's up to you." Ichiro moved back to where he was sitting just as Ayako turned back to them.

"He wants to speak to you again."

Houshou took the phone for a second time, biting his inner lip so he didn't take his anger out on his boss.

 _And Naru's just the type to pick up on that and pester me into revealing what's wrong._

"Houshou. We're not done here, and to be completely honest, I'm not sure when we'll be done. It'll depend on what more we find." There was a soft sigh at that remark.

 _Is... Naru tired?_

"You okay?" Houshou winced as the question slipped out. Naru was well known to snap at anyone, other than Lin, who questioned how he was feeling or insinuated in any way that he was human with human weaknesses. He waved away Ayako's questioning look.

"I'm fine."

 _Just like me, huh?_

"Regardless," Naru continued, "there's no need for both of you to be here. It would be better for you to join the others, complete reports, and talk about anything that's been observed or experienced since today's briefing. We'll have another lunch briefing tomorrow."

 _Day two. Or does today not count?_

"Which is why I need your passcode, so I can demonstrate that your phone is, in fact, yours, and therefore I can claim it to give to you."

Houshou felt his heartbeat speed up.

 _I deleted everything, right? The creature made me..._

"No, Mrs. Kawai, it's not a matter of trust—"

His head whipped up at that word, horrified, but Naru continued.

"It's a matter of muscle memory. I'm quite sure his fingers remember the code, it's just taking a little more time for his head to remember it. My employees trust me, and I trust them."

 _I thought he respected me, but it's different to hear him say it._

"It's, um, four digits." Houshou shut his eyes. "2201."

 _Hopefully this doesn't come back to bite me in the ass._

"Thank you, Houshou." The monk was a little surprised at the warmth in the man's tone. "We'll be back at the Grove when we're done here. Leave your reports with Osamu, and do whatever Ayako tells you concerning your ankle."

"Already said I would," he quipped, handing the phone back.

"Right. Mm-hmm. Yes, certainly." Ayako paused for a second, covering the speaking end of the phone. "I'm going to go get that wheelchair. If you move from this spot, Houshou, I will put everything in my purse and hit you with it until you can't even beg for mercy. Understood?"

 _Threats of violence because she cares? Yeah, I can read what you're not saying._

"Yes ma'am," Houshou said, giving her a salute. "Staying right here."

She looked at him, nodded, then began talking to Naru again as she walked away, heading toward the picnic area. Houshou waited until she disappeared behind a rose trellis and was out of sight before turning to Ichiro.

"What the fuck do you want?" He snapped, eyes narrowed in anger.

"Other than an answer to a personal question?" Ichiro shrugged. "Just doing my job. Reminding you that you need to keep your mouth shut for a few days."

"I don't need the reminder." He paused for a few seconds. "Does that start today or tomorrow?"

"Today. Tomorrow's day two."

 _Thank the gods for that at least._

The two of them sat together on the bench, ignoring the beautiful picture of night being painted around them. The darkness of the sky made the lights seem brighter than before, somehow stronger now than earlier when they had looked to be an ineffective guard. Houshou tapped at his pants. Picked at his fingers. Tried to focus his attention on the cooled air.

 _I can't stand it._

"Why?" He turned to Ichiro, pulling the younger man from his thoughts. "Why join them? Plenty of people have gone through emotional hell without joining the yakuza."

Ichiro spread his hands and shrugged.

"What do you want me to say? That I enjoy the violence? That I like stealing and lying and committing crimes? Yeah, sure. I get off on it. Why did you decide to become a ghost hunter?"

"Thought I could do some good in the world."

 _How does someone enjoy stuff like that?_

"You were probably bored, weren't you? Bored of your family, your job, your hobby, it doesn't matter. Just don't preach lies to me."

 _No, I started helping SPR because she asked me to._ His mind flashed back to the school hexer case, and the fan that had begged him. _I stayed because... was I bored? No. I stayed because I care for them._

"Hey, I can hear her coming back."

They both stopped to listen, and sure enough, there was the sound of footsteps and something rolling along the pathway.

"If there's anything else you want to say to me, now's the time."

"Go to hell," said Houshou, covering his face with a hand and flapping the other one at the kid. He didn't have the energy the phrase needed, but the sentiment was there. "Just stay away from her. From all of them."

"That's up to you though, isn't it?" Ichiro stood up as Ayako showed up at the corner. "Have a nice night, and thanks for your answer. If I can do anything for you, just let me know." He hesitated. "And look, I'm sorry I scared you the first time we met. I promise, I didn't mean any harm."

 _Not then, but you do now._

"Thanks for saying that." Ayako let out a laugh. "It's rare for a guy to admit he was in the wrong."

"You should probably carry that mace anyhow," he laughed with a wink. "Never know when something strange's about to happen."

"True," she agreed, tapping a fingernail on her cheek. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, at the cafe?"

"For the morning shift and brunch, yep." He started walking to an exit that was opposite of the one that Ayako had taken. "Take care, and have a good night."

"Night!" Ayako said. She waved until he was out of sight, then sat down next to Houshou. "You okay? You were behaving a little rudely to Ichiro."

Houshou took a deep breath to explain exactly how Ichiro was a devious snake and a silver-tongued liar, then stopped, letting all that air out inch by inch.

 _She can't know. None of them can, not now._

"I'm just tired," he said instead. "You ready?"

 _I don't think I can take much more today._

"Sure." She positioned herself at the back of the wheelchair and moved it to the end of the bench so Houshou could slide in. "Take a seat."


End file.
